Nga: Smart city development must put people first, not technology

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said smart city development must prioritise communities, with technology as an enabler for safer and more liveable cities. He was speaking at the opening of Tomorrow.City Shanghai 2026, where he also received a Smart City Leadership Award.

PETALING JAYA (Sept 22): Smart city development must put communities first, with technology used to help create safer, healthier and more liveable cities, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said.

Nga said meaningful urban transformation required technology, public policy and human values to converge in addressing communities’ needs. “Smart cities must ultimately serve human-centred urbanism. Technology is not the end goal, but the enabler of safer, healthier, more equitable and more liveable communities,” he said.

He said this in a keynote address at the opening of Tomorrow.City Shanghai 2026, also known as the Smart City Expo World Congress Asia-Pacific, on Tuesday (Sept 22), according to a statement from the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

Nga said Malaysia’s approach was guided by national frameworks, including the Malaysia Smart City Framework, and the adoption of international standards aimed at strengthening smart city development among local authorities. Malaysia was also committed to strengthening regional cooperation and knowledge-sharing through partnerships with international cities, technology ecosystems and industry participants, he added.

Nga, who is president of the UN-Habitat Assembly, received a Smart City Leadership Award at the event, according to the ministry, which said the award recognised Malaysia’s efforts in smart city development, sustainability and people-centred urban transformation.

Tomorrow.City Shanghai 2026 is being held in Shanghai, China, from Sept 22 to 26. Nga is also scheduled to participate in dialogues and meetings with industry leaders during his visit, according to the ministry.