Malaysia to help develop PNG towns, cities

PAPUA New Guinea has successfully entered into a bi-lateral agreement with Malaysia to help develop the towns and cities under the urbanisation programme.
In a meeting with a delegation from Papua New Guinea, led by Lands and Physical Planning Minister Lucas Dekena with Housing and Urbanisation Minister Andrew Kumbakor in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur last Friday with senior officials from the Malaysian government, an understanding was reached for Malaysia to support PNG develop its urban areas.
Secretary-general of the ministry of housing and local level government in Malaysia, Ahmad Haji Kabit, and director of economic services international cooperation section, Norani Ibrahim in welcoming the PNG delegation, tasked acting PNG High Commissioner to Malaysia Kila Karo and his staff to work towards a bilateral relationship between the two countries.
During the earlier meeting, Ahmad said that Malaysia had a vision to be the leading agency to promote excellent and distinctive town and country planning service.
Their mission statement was to provide a better quality of life and sustainable living environment in tandem with their vision 2020.
Ahmad said Malaysia’s three tiers of government implemented the same development policies to achieve outcome for common good of the people.
He particularly stressed Malaysia’s urbanisation policy that had been driven from the federal, state and local governments which became effective to enable Malaysia to become what it is today.
Dekena thanked Ahmad for playing host to their visit.
“We have come to learn how Malaysia has transformed to become a model country today,” he added.
Dekena said PNG had huge potential for investments in agriculture and primary industries like rice growing.
He added PNG had been told over the years that rice was not viable but that had been proved otherwise.