PETALING JAYA, November 4, 2026 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said that the true greatness of a city lies not in the grandeur of its buildings or architecture, but in the values, morals and dignity of the people who live in it.
In a post shared on X on Wednesday afternoon, Anwar said this was among the points he stressed when he attended the World Town Planning Day 2026 celebration and the launch of the Fifth National Physical Plan (RFN5) and the Third National Urbanisation Policy (DPN3) in Petaling Jaya earlier in the day.
“The greatness of a city is not measured solely by the splendour of its buildings or its architecture. Rather, it stands tall because of the noble values it holds, the high standard of its conduct, and the dignity of the people who live in it,” he wrote in Malay.
Drawing on the scholar Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah, the Prime Minister said the rise of a civilisation rests on asabiyyah, or esprit de corps – a spirit of togetherness, unity and solidarity that underpins the building of cities and nations. He warned, however, that such lofty ideals can erode when later generations are swept away by the glitter of power, corruption and the hoarding of wealth.
Anwar also pointed to the American historian Arnold Toynbee’s study of the rise and fall of civilisations, and to the novelist and thinker Mark Twain, who he said reminded us that the grandeur of a city’s physical structures does not necessarily reflect the cultural richness and inner strength of values of any society.
He said urban development must not become trapped in a race to erect grand landmarks and skyscrapers while neglecting the fate of ordinary people, especially the poor, those living on the fringes of cities and those still struggling to secure housing, basic amenities and a dignified living environment.
“The MADANI framework demands that we keep reaching for the sky, yet remain rooted in the earth. Technological progress and physical development must go hand in hand with strengthening values and culture, morality and social justice,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, as reported by EdgeProp, RFN5 sets land-use priorities up to 2040 through 13 national planning thrusts, including planning for an urbanisation rate of 85 per cent by 2040, retaining 50 per cent of land under forest cover and integrating transit-oriented development into urban planning. It also calls for studies on a possible high-speed rail alignment linking southern, central and northern Malaysia. DPN3, which runs to 2035, sets out 22 policy statements, 44 strategies and 90 actions to make cities more liveable and resilient, with priorities including affordable housing, better infrastructure and safer cities.
The event was held at Dewan Sivik MBPJ in Petaling Jaya. Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh were also present, NST reported. Photographs shared by Anwar show him delivering his speech, at the launch on stage and touring an exhibition featuring RFN5 maps and smart city displays.
“Ultimately, the true measure of success in town planning lies not in the beauty of the policies drafted, but in how effectively they are implemented to uplift human dignity,” Anwar wrote. “Because building a city is, in essence, building people and the human soul.”
Credit : Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s X
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