Malaysia must fundamentally rethink how its cities are governed and built and integrate nature into town planning to lead the fight against climate change, former natural resources and environmental sustainability minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has said.
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Speaking on a panel at the inaugural Malaysia edition of Cities: Possibilities, he stressed that Malaysia’s urban future cannot be separated from its climate ambitions, and that governance weaknesses and land pressures are already shaping outcomes that make heat, flooding, and biodiversity loss harder to manage.
“This is where the disconnect is. Without [proper] governance, the people of Kuala Lumpur cannot determine how the city is planned, and we are bound to encounter problems,” he said.
His remarks came as former Kuala Lumpur mayor Maimunah Mohd Sharif was recently removed from power by the federal government in a controversial move, long before the scheduled end of her tenure in August 2026.
Maimunah has since taken up a new role as property advisor at Petronas, to provide strategic guidance on the company’s property portfolio, effective 17 November.
Unlike other major cities, the Kuala Lumpur mayor is appointed by the Prime Minister of Malaysia with the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (the King of Malaysia), rather than by voters or local representatives, weakening accountability, continuity and long-term planning.
Nik Nazmi, who is also the member of parliament (MP) for Setiawangsa, a constituency in Kuala Lumpur, noted that Malaysia has not held local council elections since the 1960s and argued that reviving them is important for improving local governance.
“There’s no such thing as local council elections in Malaysia anymore. But in other states, councillors are at least appointed by the state governments, so they are somewhat responsive to political pressure,” he said.
Several Kuala Lumpur MPs, including Nik Nazmi, submitted a Private Member’s Bill to amend the Federal Capital Act 1960 last week, proposing a shift from the current system of a federally appointed, all-powerful mayor to a councillor-based governance structure similar to other local authorities under the Local Government Act 1976.
This would allow for greater local representation and accountability in how the capital is planned and managed.
The current gap in democratic structures that makes it difficult for communities to shape their living environment, is evident with the increasing challenge in conserving Kuala Lumpur’s green areas with an increasing proportion of lands being privately owned.
Citing the case of Bukit Dinding, large parts of which were privatised in the 1870s, Nik Nazmi said residents have faced persistent challenges in protecting one of the city’s few remaining biodiversity-rich hills.
“The residents want to preserve that land. But a lot of it is still private land. So how can the city find ways [to conserve green spaces]? If you use traditional property law, title is king, and you cannot find a real solution to that,” he said.
In 2022, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had issued a development order for a high-rise project in Bukit Dinding for two 26-storey condominiums to be built on the hill.
The announcement caused an uproar among residents as it is one of the few green spaces left in Kuala Lumpur. DBKL has since announced that 25 per cent of the site must be maintained as a green area following a public outcry over the development plans.
Protecting green spaces in high-density and fast-urbanising cities like Kuala Lumpur is crucial, as shrinking natural buffers intensify urban heat, flash flooding and ecological degradation.
Nik Nazmi also shared that studies have shown that Kuala Lumpur’s urbanised city centre can be up to 6°C hotter than the surrounding green zones. Even within the city, built-up commercial districts such as Bukit Bintang are 2–3°C hotter than greener pockets like KLCC Park.
“So how we plan the city matters, and as the world heats up, how do we adapt and how do we maneuver? These are the things that we need to explore, and we have done well in the past [in these areas],” Nik Nazmi said, referring to pre-colonial times when Southeast Asian cities like Aceh and Malacca were adaptive and responsive to the climate with natural systems woven into daily life.
As Malaysia urbanises further, he said reclaiming this ethos could guide a new model of growth, one that recognises nature not as an obstacle to development but as a strategic ally in climate resilience.
“Without leveraging on cities, we will not be able to fight climate change, because most people live in cities. This is our lived reality,” he added.
The need for green spaces in cities
(From left) Serina Elizabeth Hijjas, president of the Malaysia Green Building Council; Sharifah Bakar Ali, head of ESG at UEM Edgenta Berhad and Pieter E. Stek, senior lecturer at Asia School of Business on a panel on post-carbon cities. Image: Eco-Business
Commenting on ecological design on an earlier panel on post-carbon cities, Serina Elizabeth Hijjas, president of the Malaysia Green Building Council, also emphasised that socially and economically sustainable green spaces play a crucial role in creating cities that are low carbon in nature.
She highlighted that Asian cities need to focus a lot more on integrating the blue and green spaces into current gray infrastructure as urban density is rapidly increasing.
“There’s not so much green space left. And transforming our cities is quite difficult. We have been very much energy-centric,” she said.
She also noted that current local council regulations in Malaysia only require developers to set aside 10 per cent of total land as ‘kawasan lapang’ or open space.
This may not be sufficient for climate adaptation as in some planning systems, parts of the mandated 10 per cent open-space quota can be met using slope-stabilisation zones, buffer areas, utility amenities or flood-retention ponds.
Serina added that there has to be a mandate from the government in ensuring a net positive green space in well-established and densely populated cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor to ensure the wellbeing of the city.
“For every green space you take now, you have to give back more green space because it’s becoming essential. It’s part of essential services to the city,” she said.
