Kuala lumpur: Malaysia and China have agreed to strengthen cooperation in developing smart city pilot projects, with plans to establish smart city command centres in Malaysia's second-tier cities such as Ipoh and Seberang Perai. The initiative was discussed during a bilateral meeting between Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming and China's Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong, held in conjunction with the ASEAN-China Ministerial Roundtable on Construction 2025 in Guilin, China.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nga stated that these projects will serve as living laboratories for testing smart technologies, energy-efficient designs, and community-centric housing models. The collaboration aims to facilitate mutual learning and adaptation of proven solutions to local contexts, ranging from smart home integration and digital infrastructure to AI-driven housing management, data-driven urban services, and affordable housing models for middle- and low-income groups.
As part of the collaboration, Malaysia will draw lessons from China's advanced urban platforms, such as Hangzhou's City Brain and Shenzhen's Smart City Data Platform, to establish smart city pilot projects. The pilot projects include the deployment of smart infrastructure such as energy-efficient systems, home automation, smart metering, and IoT-based building management, along with digital connectivity for residents, including integrated apps for facilities booking, security, maintenance, and community engagement.
Additionally, the projects will incorporate green features such as solar energy, waste separation systems, and water-saving technologies, as well as social innovation in housing design, with elderly-friendly and family-centric elements. During the meeting, Nga invited China to participate in the ASEAN+3 Real Estate Conference (AREC) 2026, which will, for the first time, welcome South Korea and Japan as strategic partners. The four-day event will be held from July 29, 2026, at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur.
Nga also proposed an exchange training programme between Malaysian and Chinese government officials to enhance skills in urban planning and public policy. He emphasized the importance of this collaboration extending beyond knowledge-sharing to project implementation in Malaysia. As the UN-Habitat Assembly president, Nga welcomed China to play a more active role in advancing the global urban agenda through financial contributions and policy endorsements.
He encouraged China to support the integration of the New Urban Agenda into the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with the document scheduled to be launched at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change (MM4) on November 11, 2025, in conjunction with the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Bel©m, Brazil. Nga highlighted the need for a global approach to urban challenges, advocating for sustainability and inclusivity in urban development. He affirmed Malaysia's readiness to collaborate with China and the international community to ensure no one and no place is left behind in the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the 2030 Agenda.