Malaysia hosts 30th EAROPH World Congress in Melaka, KPKT sec-gen appointed organisation president

PETALING JAYA (April 24): Malaysia is hosting the 30th World Congress of the Eastern Regional Organisation for Planning and Human Settlements (EAROPH) in Melaka until April 26, bringing together urban planners, architects, engineers, property developers and policymakers from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

The congress, which started yesterday (April 23), is being held at Courtyard by Marriott Melaka and officiated by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof, said Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) in a media statement.

Its theme "City Assets for Community Gains" — focuses on the strategic management of urban infrastructure, public amenities, natural ecosystems, cultural heritage and digital systems to sustain long-term community wellbeing.

In a significant appointment on the sidelines of the congress, KPKT secretary-general Datuk Wira Dr M Noor Azman Taib was named EAROPH president for 2026–2028, with the organisation's International secretariat now based at the KPKT. 

A key agenda under his two-year presidency is the finalisation of the EAROPH Strategic Plan 2040, which will serve as a regional framework for sustainable urban development across Asia-Pacific.

The congress featured three keynote addresses — from KPKT deputy minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu; East Java deputy governor Dr Emil Elestianto Dardak; and Petronas property adviser Datuk Seri TPr (Dr) Maimunah Mohd Sharif — alongside seven dialogue sessions involving more than 20 international panellists covering urban resilience and funding, city-life design, community development and city management.

For Malaysia's property and development sector, the congress carries direct relevance: the theme of urban asset management addresses issues including ageing infrastructure, climate resilience, fiscal constraints and rising expectations for urban service quality — challenges that property developers, local authorities and planners in Malaysia navigate daily.

This is the fifth time Malaysia has hosted the EAROPH World Congress since 1992. 

The next edition will be the 55th EAROPH Regional Congress 2027 in Japan, followed by the 31st World Congress in Manila in 2028.

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