PSB To Drive Smart City Development, Boost People's Quality Of Life – Nga Kor Ming

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- The Urban Renewal Bill (PSB) will be a catalyst for the development of smart and sustainable cities nationwide, thus strengthening the quality of life of the people, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.

He said that among the main scopes in the implementation of PSB is the integration of smart city features such as smart traffic light systems, smart street lights, smart toilets and the use of renewable energy.

"When we carry out urban renewal, of course we will include smart city elements such as smart traffic lights that can detect vehicles and automatically change red lights to green to reduce traffic congestion and save time.

"The same goes for smart street lights that only turn on when night falls and turn off when there is light, saving energy. Now we also have smart toilets with automatic sensors and solar panels on the roof... all towards energy efficiency and sustainability,” he said.

Nga told the media after the launching of National Level World Urban Planning Day 2025 Celebration, National Planning Congress (NPC) and MyCity Expo here today. The ceremony was officiated by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

Nga said the PSB Bill is very important to empower the government to implement comprehensive redevelopment initiatives and avoid manipulation under existing provisions such as the Land Acquisition Act.

“Without the PSB Act, my hands are tied. This Act will empower the government to assist, facilitate and implement urban renewal more efficiently,” he said.

According to him, his ministry (KPKT) is currently collecting feedback from various parties including through the National Planning Congress which lasted for four days and was attended by more than 5,000 participants.

“The director-general and the Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia) team are collecting all views and will prepare a complete report to be presented to the Cabinet. The official announcement will be made after final approval is received,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nga also shared the success of the PBTPay application which allows tax, assessment and compound payments to be made through a digital platform, with collections exceeding RM600 million as of this morning.

“This shows how important digital transformation is under KPKT. My vision is to create an application that encompasses all KPKT agencies including PLANMalaysia, the Fire and Rescue Department and the National Housing Department so that the people no longer need to come to the office, but can manage everything through one application,” he said.

He said the implementation of the digital transformation will be implemented in phases in the 13th Malaysia Plan.

Nga also stressed that the main objective of smart city development is not just infrastructure facilities, but to ensure the well-being and happiness of the people.

“If we have a smart country but the people are not happy, that is meaningless. The happiness of the people is the benchmark of our success. This government is people-centred, and humanity is central to our development goals,” he said.

In the context of international recognition, Kuala Lumpur is currently ranked 65th in the Smart Cities Index 2025 published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), up from 73rd last year, the best achievement in five years.

Nga said this increase proves that the government's policy towards smart and sustainable cities is on the right track, and the implementation of PSB is expected to further boost the country's position in the global index.

-- BERNAMA