‘When we fail to provide housing, we are breaking a promise to our children.’
PETALING JAYA: Housing is no longer merely a development issue but a defining test of political will, economic resilience and global cooperation, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
Delivering his opening address as United Nations Habitat Assembly president, Nga warned that governments risk “breaking a promise to our children” if they fail to provide adequate housing amid escalating climate and urban pressures.
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“When we fail to provide housing, we are breaking a promise to our children.
“Hence, the theme of this global forum, ‘Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities’, is not merely a slogan but also a call to immediate action,” he said at the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan yesterday.
Nga said aspirations alone, without concrete policies and strong economic foundations, would not solve the worsening global housing crisis.
“It might be aspirational to want to house the world, but we will only be boiling the ocean if we do not have the political will, the right policy and the economic resilience to build and house all our citizens.”
Citing UN-Habitat data, Nga said nearly 2.9 billion people worldwide are affected by the global housing crisis, with one in four living in informal settlements.
He added that more than two billion people are expected to be impacted by rising global temperatures by 2040.
“For those trapped in inadequate housing, these are not just numbers. They represent a critical threat to survival.”
Nga said urban challenges confronting nations today, from housing shortages to climate risks, require stronger multilateral cooperation and accelerated implementation of the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
“As president of the UN-Habitat Assembly, I see these pressures converging.
“All of us, in our own way, are grappling with similar urban challenges. “However, if we unite in common shared purpose we shall overcome together.”
He highlighted the role of the Intergovernmental Working Group on Adequate Housing for All, describing it as “a historic platform for multilateral cooperation” that bridges global policy with local delivery.
Drawing from Malaysia’s own experience under the Malaysia Madani framework, Nga said the country had delivered more than 1.1 million affordable homes while achieving a 77% home ownership rate.
He said Malaysia had exceeded environmental targets through the planting of over 150 million trees while 60% of local authorities had completed voluntary local reviews linked to SDG implementation.
Nga urged world leaders to adopt a more human-centred approach to urban planning, adding that policymakers should focus not only on infrastructure but also on vulnerable communities affected by poverty and climate change.
“When you look at your city maps, do not just look at roads and zones. See the faces.
“See the young entrepreneur in a slum who needs a legal address to start a business. See the families in coastal cities at risk from rising sea levels.
