APAC Bali Keynote Address – 27 October 2025
 
Good morning, distinguished leaders, colleagues, friends.
Selamat pagi, bapak ibu. Apa khabar semua?

Let me begin with a story—real, close. A reality that surrounds many of our growers, season after season. I know it well, because I am a farmer too.

It is dawn in a Balinese rice field. A farmer stands in the middle of her paddy. The air is cool, but the ground still remembers last season.

First, the rain did not come. Weeks of drought cracked the earth. The soil hardened—solid as rock. She walked it anyway: counting seedlings, counting days, counting debts.

Then the sky broke open—punishment, not rain. Water rushed in and stayed too long. Seedlings were washed away. A season’s hope slipped under the flood.

Prices spiked. Neighbours argued over whose pump failed. She sold her last sack early—just to pay the men who stand with her at harvest. She kept paying. She kept borrowing. And when the numbers would not sleep, neither did she.

This morning, she does something different.

One tap. The app lights up—soil moisture steady. Overhead, the satellite says the canopy is alive. Downstream, the buyer has locked a forward. Out back, a digester hums—waste into heat, into power, into income.

Soil. Water. Energy. Delivery. Each piece sends proof to a ledger her buyer, her supplier, and her funder can see... 
 

Good morning, distinguished delegates, colleagues, and friends from across the Asia Pacific region.

 

It is truly an honour to represent the City of Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, and share our story — one of transformation driven by community, inspired by biodiversity, and strengthened by food resilience.

 

Our theme today, “Petaling Jaya — Urban Biodynamics and Food Resilience Through Community Innovation”, reflects our ongoing mission to build a city that is not only smart and sustainable, but also self-reliant and inclusive.

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Allow me to introduce our city briefly.

 

The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) was established in 1977, evolving from Malaysia’s first municipal authority that managed the nation’s first planned town after independence in 1954.

Today, Petaling Jaya covers 97.2 km², with a population exceeding 813,000 (2024) and more than 35,000 active businesses.

Petaling Jaya is recognised as:

• The pioneer of sustainable urban governance in Malaysia

• The first city in Selangor to implement Local Agenda 21

• The first UNICEF-certified Child Friendly City (CFCI)

• Among Malaysia’s top cities under the Low-Carbon City Framework

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Our philosophy is simple — a city for the people, by the people.

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From a small post-war settlement, Petaling Jaya has evolved into a vibrant and modern metropolis.

Amidst rapid growth, we remain committed to the well-being of people and the planet. For us, progress only matters when it brings prosperity — economically, socially, and ecologically.

To align our growth with a sustainable future, MBPJ introduced the Petaling Jaya Smart, Sustainable & Resilient 2030 (PJSSR 2030) Master Plan.

Vision:

“Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Petaling Jaya — Towards an Inclusive and Climate-Responsive Future.”

This is not just a document, but a living guide combining technology, biodiversity, and community innovation...

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