MELAKA, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) will develop public spaces in Malaysia according to international best practices through the MY Public Space initiative.
Its Minister, Nga Kor Ming, said the initiative is the result of a collaboration between KPKT through the National Landscape Department and UN-Habitat, aiming to ensure that these facilities are of higher quality, inclusive, safe, and resilient.
He said the announcement, made in conjunction with the 2026 National Landscape Day Celebration, also aims to enhance the well-being of the people through the development of public spaces that meet the needs and aspirations of urban development in Malaysia.
"The initiative to develop MY Public Space is to empower public space management based on international best practices, tailored to the needs and aspirations of Malaysia's urban development.
"The goal is to ensure that every developed public space is of higher quality, inclusive, safe, resilient, and guarantees the well-being of the people," he said when speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2026 National Landscape Day Celebration at the Hang Jebat Stadium here today.
Earlier, the ceremony was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and was also attended by Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
Nga said MY Public Space will be implemented through four main focuses: developing a national recognition framework aligned with the Rosa Sinensis Award, implementing the MY Public Space Toolkit pilot project, strengthening public space management practices, and mainstreaming the toolkit into national landscape development guidelines and policies as a national standard.
He added that the strategic collaboration with UN-Habitat will open a new chapter in elevating the country's public space standards to the global stage, while lifting Malaysia's image as a leader in sustainable, inclusive, and liveable urban development.
He noted that the initiative is also in line with Malaysia's commitment as the President of the UN-Habitat Assembly to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through closer international cooperation and more effective action.
In a separate development, Nga said the government targets the development of 1,000 MADANI Parks nationwide by 2035 to ensure every community has access to quality green spaces.
He added that throughout the 2024 to 2025 period, a total of 217 MADANI Recreational Parks were successfully developed nationwide, surpassing the original target of 100 parks per year out of the goal to develop 1,000 parks within a decade.
"Out of the total 217 parks that have been developed, 10 parks are located in this historic state. This year, I am confident that we will surpass the target again to build or upgrade 100 MADANI Parks, where three new MADANI Recreational Parks will be implemented in Ayer Keroh and Masjid Tanah," he said.
Commenting on the national landscape industry, he said it is targeted to contribute up to RM40 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2035 through increased investments and exports of landscape products and services.
He said Malaysia recorded a landscape product export value of RM534.3 million in 2025 to various destinations including Singapore, Japan, Australia, and the United States.
Consequently, he said KPKT through the National Landscape Department is preparing the Malaysian Landscape Industry Blueprint as a long-term strategic guide covering workforce capacity building, industry standard coordination, green technology innovation, strengthening the landscape value chain, and enhancing the competitiveness of local industry players at the domestic and international levels.
-- BERNAMA