Singapore, Nov 7 – Malaysia will set up an Excellence Centre for Liveable Cities next year as part of the effort to make cities throughout the country liveable, said Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
As the minister responsible, he said he would like to have one centre of excellence which would discuss and touch on urban issues and how to make Malaysian cities liveable, putting souls back into the cities.
Abdul Rahman noted his ministry had been handling even the smallest city right up to Kuala Lumpur.
“More often than not, somehow psychologically, when we talk about cities, people talk about Kuala Lumpur only or Johor Baharu. We tend to forget what happens to the smaller ones like Sandakan, Tawau, Lahad Datu, Kuching or other smaller towns.
“The centre will be an entity where everybody including academicians, non-govermental organisations and professionals could provide ideas, organise seminars, and come up with new technologies and new ways on how to make smaller cities to be liveable,” he told Bernama here on Wednesday.
Abdul Rahman was on his first working visit to the island republic. He was accompanied by the Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore, Datuk Husni Zai Yaacob.
The minister noted that Singapore had a very vibrant think-thank called “The Centre of Liveable Cities.
– Bernama
