IPOH: Mega projects in Malaysia must integrate culture, civilisation and new technology to truly benefit the nation and its people, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
He cautioned against blindly copying foreign development concepts that clash with local climate, values and traditions.
“Some grand buildings and mega projects serve no real purpose beyond impressing others, and we must move past such outdated thinking,“ Anwar stated.
A MADANI nation must prioritise people-centric development to avoid reducing the concept to mere slogans, he added.
The prime minister highlighted the need for projects that elevate culture, civilisation and technological progress for societal advancement.
He spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ipoh Sentral Project, attended by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
The Prime Minister said that ‘mega complexes’ to be developed must take into account current needs and ensure that their benefits are felt by all segments of society.
“Will these mega projects be able to provide buildings that meet the needs of everyone? If it is housing, then comfortable housing must be provided for those with sufficient means, the middle-income group, and the poor.
“Because in the end, these complexes will require thousands of workers, and these workers should not be pushed away to remote areas, tens of miles from where they work. All of this must be considered,” he said.
He also touched on the tendency of some developers to focus more on luxury developments for the wealthy while neglecting the need for affordable housing.
According to him, in Kuala Lumpur, many mega developments are built as exclusive areas for high-income earners, while public housing projects are relegated to the outskirts and less strategic locations.
“When we want to build public housing, NGOs and civil society groups object, asking why such housing should be built in already congested areas with traffic jams and inadequate facilities. But when you seize land indiscriminately, that seems to be acceptable?” he said.
At the same time, the Prime Minister also emphasised that the construction of schools must be part of the comprehensive planning for every mega development project.
Anwar referred to a recent incident in Kuala Lumpur, where he had to firmly rebuke developers and officials for failing to plan adequately for educational needs.
“I had to reprimand them quite sternly because when asked, the developers and officials said there was already a school nearby. But that school had 50 pupils in a class — it was overcrowded.
“Surely for these primary-level pupils from lower-income families, we cannot simply cram them in without any sense of concern or empathy. That is why I rebuked them,” he said. – Bernama
