KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) is seeking to establish a Malaysia-Cambridge urban platform to pursue Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 under the Madani economy framework.

Its Minister, Nga Kor Ming, said the proposed collaboration with the University of Cambridge would strengthen strategic partnerships with leading global institutions in pursuit of sustainable urban development.

“Malaysia’s strong economic growth and improving global competitiveness reflect the nation’s resilience as a formidable trading economy in Asia despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, and it is timely for the country to step up efforts to establish strategic partnerships with the world’s top institutions,” he said in a statement today.

Nga earlier delivered a keynote address at the inaugural Forum on Housing and Urban Planning at Downing College, University of Cambridge, making him the first minister from the Madani government to be invited to speak at the prestigious institution.

He said Malaysia’s engagement with Cambridge reflects the government’s commitment to international collaboration, positioning the country as a proactive partner in developing affordable, resilient and inclusive cities.

The forum, jointly organised by the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Institute, the University of Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin University and the Cambridge University Malaysian Students Association, also aims to encourage Malaysian students abroad to return and contribute to nation-building.

In his address, Nga outlined five key priorities under Malaysia’s housing and urban agenda aligned with the SDGs, including strengthening the National Affordable Housing Policy by capping prices at RM300,000 and aligning them with district median income.

He said Malaysia’s home ownership rate has reached 76.5 per cent, surpassing countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Other priorities include advancing climate-resilient housing through transit-oriented development and nature-based solutions, enhancing land and planning coordination via a national urban observatory, and reviving abandoned housing projects.

Nga said nearly 1,350 abandoned projects have been revived since 2023, benefiting over 167,000 homebuyers and unlocking RM133.78 billion in value, while stressing that strong local authorities are key to building sustainable cities and enhancing institutional capacity through digitalisation, training and improved governance.

He added that through five Madani housing reforms, the government is targeting “zero” sick and abandoned private housing projects by 2030, while also strengthening the governance of high-density and strata living through reforms to the Strata Management Act.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Nga said Malaysia’s macroeconomic fundamentals have reached a turning point, with a 6.3 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the final quarter of 2025 and record approved investments of RM426.7 billion. — Bernama