Ipoh, Seberang Perai set to become smart cities via Malaysia – China collaboration

Second tier cities such as Ipoh and Seberang Perai are set to become smart cities following an agreement reached by Malaysia and China.

There are plans to establish smart city command centres there too.

The initiative were among those that were discussed between Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming and China’s Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong, at the Asean-China Ministerial Roundtable on Construction 2025 in Guilin, China.

Nga said these projects would serve as living laboratories for testing smart technologies, energy efficient designs and community centric housing models.

“By collaborating with China, we can foster mutual learning and adapt proven solutions to local contexts, from smart home integration and digital infrastructure to AI-driven housing management, data-driven urban services and affordable housing models for middle-and low-income groups,” he said.

Malaysia would draw lessons from China’s advanced urban platforms, such as Hangzhou’s City Brain and Shenzhen’s Smart City Data Platform, to establish smart city pilot projects.

The pilot projects include the deployment of smart infrastructure, such as energy-efficient systems, home automation, smart metering and IoT-based building management, as well as digital connectivity for residents, including integrated apps for facilities booking, security, maintenance and community engagement.

Also included are green features such as solar energy, waste separation systems and water-saving technologies, as well as social innovation in housing design, with elderly-friendly and family-centric elements.