Statement by Think City on Budget 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: Hamdan Abdul Majeed, Managing Director of Think City, welcomes the announcement made by YAB Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Government of Malaysia, entrusting Think City in elevating Downtown Kuala Lumpur into a creative and cultural city. With an allocation of RM 20 million, Think City will further develop Downtown Kuala Lumpur as a creative and cultural district, focusing on flagship projects around Masjid Jamek and its surrounding areas. We will deepen our partnerships with local communities to collectively preserve, innovate and activate the historic city centre.

This allocation will not only transform the city’s landscape but also stimulate job opportunities for its residents. Beyond physical development, it addresses the challenge of urban community decline, enhancing life quality, renewing historical structures, and catalysing broader social and economic progress, particularly in the retail, creative and tourism industries.

In addition, we are pleased to note the allocations for the management and conservation of Timah Tasoh Lake in Perlis and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Lembah Bujang, Kedah and Royal Belum, Perak. These investments hold the potential to advance the preservation and development of these heritage sites as key culture-based economies. These sites align with Think City’s Northern Region Archaeotourism Network Programme and we look forward to collaborating with the respective state governments, strategic partners, academics, NGOs and local communities to maximise the positive impact of these initiatives.

Budget 2024 upholds and reinforces the commitment outlined in the MADANI Economic Framework, elevating the economic dignity of the country and rakyat, including restructuring the economy to boost growth and improve the standard of living for the people. Think City is committed to contributing to this vision through initiatives that create meaningful and positive change in our cities and communities.

We would also like to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Yayasan Hasanah, as well as our esteemed local and international partners, and the vibrant communities we collaborate with, sharing a common vision of making cities liveable, together.

Think City is an impact organisation established in 2009 to create more sustainable and equitable places for the benefit of all. Our knowledge, skills and strategies focus on urban solutions, the environment, social communities, and the cultural economy. Think City is a wholly owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad (the sovereign wealth fund of the Government of Malaysia).