Kenya has expressed interest to cooperate with Malaysia and tap into the country’s expertise in providing affordable housing.
The matter was conveyed by Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto to Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming at a meeting in Nairobi, where the United Nations Habitat Assembly 2023 is currently being held from June 5 to 9.
In a statement today, the Local Government Development Ministry said the Malaysian delegation, headed by Nga, was among the two countries selected to meet Ruto at the assembly.
It also said that in the meeting, Ruto described Malaysia as a gateway to other countries in the ASEAN region.
Nga said Malaysia was ready to cooperate and share expertise, training and best practices with any country, including Kenya, especially in relation to the country’s initiative to develop the housing sector.
At the assembly, Nga also attended 10 bilateral sessions with counterparts and top officials from countries such as China, Columbia, Bahrain, the Philippines, Palestine, Qatar, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.
Among matters discussed in the sessions were related to the sustainable development agenda, including the implementation of smart city initiatives, solid waste management and increased cooperation among countries.
“These bilateral sessions were a very important engagement for Malaysia to place the country on the international stage.
“Affordable housing like those developed by Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia (PR1MA) has become a topic of interest at this assembly,” Nga said.
He further said that Malaysia’s affordable housing policy and programmes had become models and points of reference for developing countries, including from the aspect of financing and house construction.
“During the (bilateral) sessions, Malaysia received a very positive response and was invited to participate in various world-level events to share the country’s best practices in the housing sector, solid waste management and sustainable development agenda,” he added.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency