Credit : Bernama
GEORGE TOWN, November 10, 2026 – Penang has launched two strategic smart city development plans to strengthen data and technology integration and to improve the efficiency of urban management, as the state looks towards more sustainable development, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.
Chow said the Penang State Smart City Master Plan 2040 and the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) Smart City Action Plan 2030 would serve as important platforms for coordinating smart city initiatives and ensuring that the benefits of development were felt by the people. He was speaking at the 2026 Penang state-level World Town Planning Day celebration at the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre.
“I welcome the launch of the Penang State Smart City Master Plan 2040 today as a long-term direction to coordinate smart city initiatives and strengthen the state’s data and technology integration,” he said, according to Bernama. “The development of the Penang Urban Intelligence Observatory, State Data Exchange and Smart Penang Dashboard are strategic components in establishing an integrated state data ecosystem to support more accurate and effective decision-making and action.”
He said the MBPP Smart City Action Plan 2030 would serve as a platform to translate smart city aspirations into initiatives that meet residents’ needs. Strategic and data-driven urban planning, he said, was crucial in addressing challenges including floods, traffic congestion, solid waste management and rising urban temperatures.
Chow said Penang continued to strengthen its position as a leading contributor to the country’s economy, with the state’s exports reaching RM113.2 billion in September 2026. “From January to June 2026, a total of 177 manufacturing projects were approved, involving investments worth RM17.32 billion and potentially creating 19,337 job opportunities,” he said. Those economic achievements, he added, needed to be supported by strategic urban planning, quality infrastructure and sustainable resource management so that growth also translated into a better quality of life.
State Local Government and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman H’ng Mooi Lye said the Penang State Smart City Master Plan 2040, prepared by PLANMalaysia Penang, outlined the direction for smart city development based on seven key sectors: Smart People, Smart Living, Smart Environment, Smart Government, Smart Economy, Smart Mobility and Smart Digital Infrastructure. He said the plan placed emphasis on the adoption of technology, innovation and digitalisation to improve urban management and the quality of services delivered to the public.
“By 2040, the state government aims to develop a more mature and integrated smart city ecosystem through stronger governance, digital infrastructure, data integration and the adoption of smart technologies in urban planning and management,” he said. H’ng said the MBPP Smart City Action Plan 2030 focused on the efficiency of municipal services, mobility management, digital infrastructure, environmental sustainability and community well-being, with the aim of improving residents’ quality of life.
The 2026 Penang state-level World Town Planning Day celebration was themed “Our Cities, Our Future, Together Shaping a Prosperous, Resilient and Thriving Penang.” It was organised by PLANMalaysia Penang in collaboration with MBPP, and was held at the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre in George Town, where Chow welcomed the 2040 master plan as the state’s long-term direction.
Sources: Bernama, RTM, Astro Awani
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