Nga Kor Ming urges global cooperation on housing crisis, cites 3.4 billion affected

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — Stronger international cooperation is needed to address the global housing crisis, with approximately 3.4 billion people worldwide experiencing some form of inadequate housing, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.

In making the call, Nga, who is also United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Assembly president, said that more than 1.16 billion people lived in informal settlements, including slums, while 44 per cent of urban renters spent an unsustainable proportion of their income on rent.

“Governments must ensure that housing is affordable, safe, well-connected to public transport and employment opportunities, and supported by essential public amenities,” he said in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Global Observance of World Cities Day 2026 in Fuzhou, China, today.

The event, themed “Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All”, is jointly organised by UN-Habitat, China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Fujian Provincial People’s Government and the Fuzhou Municipal People’s Government.

Nga said addressing the crisis required more than building additional homes, as rising housing costs placed increasing pressure on households and widened social inequalities.

He urged governments, international organisations, and the private sector to strengthen partnerships in affordable housing, green development and sustainable urban regeneration.

Sharing Malaysia’s experience, Nga said the government had set a target of delivering one million affordable homes between 2026 and 2035, alongside an ambition to place Malaysia among the world’s top 10 countries for home ownership by 2035.

He highlighted the Malaysia Madani vision, the country’s housing reform agenda, and the National Housing Policy 2026-2035 as key initiatives to improve housing accessibility and support sustainable urban development.

Nga also cited the RM60 billion Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme (SJKP), which facilitates access to home financing for 150,000 individuals without conventional income documentation.

“Housing is the foundational soil from which all human capability grows. It is where our children form their earliest ambitions, where working parents recharge their spirit, and where our senior citizens enjoy the honour they have earned over a lifetime.

“When a household enjoys a secure roof, every aspect of life stabilises. Health improves, educational outcomes soar, and economic confidence takes root,” he said.

Nga said a city’s success should be measured by the liveability of its neighbourhoods, the quality of public spaces, environmental protection and opportunities for residents, rather than merely its skyline or the scale of construction.

He said housing must cater to people’s needs from early childhood through to elderly care, while urban regeneration should support climate action through energy-efficient technologies and expanded green spaces.

Malaysia was also promoting transit-oriented development and climate-resilient urban renewal as part of its efforts to build more sustainable communities, he also said.

“Policy without execution is merely good intention, vision without action is only a dream,” he added, urging world leaders to translate international commitments into tangible improvements in people’s lives. — Bernama

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吉隆坡，10月31日讯——房屋及地方政府部长倪可敏表示，需要加强国际合作来解决全球住房危机，目前全球约有34亿人面临某种形式的住房不足问题。

联合国人居署（UN-Habitat）大会主席恩加在发出呼吁时表示，超过11.6亿人居住在非正式住区，包括贫民窟，而44%的城市租房者将收入中不可持续的比例用于支付房租。

“各国政府必须确保住房价格合理、安全，与公共交通和就业机会连接良好，并得到必要的公共设施支持，”他今天在中国福州举行的2026年世界城市日全球庆祝活动开幕式上发表主旨演讲时说。

本次活动以“城市复兴：人人享有适足住房”为主题，由联合国人居署、中国住房和城乡建设部、福建省人民政府和福州市人民政府联合举办。

Nga表示，解决这场危机需要的不仅仅是建造更多的住房，因为不断上涨的住房成本给家庭带来了越来越大的压力，并加剧了社会不平等。

他敦促各国政府、国际组织和私营部门加强在经济适用房、绿色发展和可持续城市更新方面的合作。

Nga分享了马来西亚的经验，表示政府已设定目标，在2026年至2035年间提供100万套经济适用房，同时力争到2035年使马来西亚跻身全球住房拥有率最高的10个国家之列。

他强调，马来西亚住房改革愿景、国家住房改革议程以及2026-2035年国家住房政策是改善住房可及性和支持可持续城市发展的关键举措。

Nga 还提到了价值 600 亿令吉的住房信贷担保计划 (SJKP)，该计划为 15 万名没有传统收入证明的个人提供了住房融资便利。

“住房是人类一切能力发展的基石。孩子们在这里树立最初的抱负，辛勤工作的父母在这里恢复精力，老年人在这里享受他们一生所赢得的荣誉。”

他说：“当一个家庭拥有稳定的住所时，生活的方方面面都会趋于稳定。健康状况会改善，教育成果会大幅提升，经济信心也会增强。”

Nga表示，衡量一个城市的成功应该看其社区的宜居性、公共空间的质量、环境保护以及居民的机会，而不仅仅是其天际线或建筑规模。

他表示，住房必须满足人们从幼儿时期到老年护理的需求，而城市更新应通过节能技术和扩大绿地来支持气候行动。

他还表示，马来西亚也在积极推进以公共交通为导向的城市发展和具有气候适应能力的城市更新，以此作为其建设更可持续社区努力的一部分。

他补充道：“没有执行的政策只是美好的愿望，没有行动的愿景只是空想。”他敦促世界各国领导人将国际承诺转化为切实改善人民生活。——马新社

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