KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak is eyeing inclusion in the ‘ASEAN Community Vision 2045: Our Shared Future’ to strengthen regional cooperation on sustainable urbanisation.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the state would continue participating in the ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Forum (ASUF), ASEAN Governors and Mayors Forum (AGMF), and the Meeting of Governors and Mayors of ASEAN Capitals (MGMAC).
He said Sarawak, despite being in the heart of Borneo, faced similar urban challenges as other ASEAN cities, including transport, housing, education, healthcare and employment.
“While we are part of international initiatives such as the World Health Organisation Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities (GNAFCC), UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) and zero-carbon cities, we incorporate Sarawakian values, culture, heritage and aspirations as we move forward in our nation-building journey.
“Our future, our way,” he said in a Facebook statement.
He was in the capital to deliver a keynote address at ASUF, presenting a talk on ‘Health and Sustainable City: The Sarawak Experience’ during a special session.
Dr Sim, who is also Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, said these global frameworks were applied while ensuring Sarawak’s development path remained rooted in its own values and identity.
Following his address, he joined the joint closing ceremony of ASUF, AGMF and MGMAC 2025.
The three-day forum drew over 9,000 participants from ASEAN and beyond, focusing on key urban issues such as climate change, housing affordability, and urban expansion.
