Globalisation and urban governance : the role of local government in promoting good governance in Malaysia

Abstract

Cities in Malaysia and Asia are undergoing some of the most dramatic and spectacular changes ever.Malaysian and Asian cities boast to have the facilities to welcome global business; not only having the tallest building in the world - The Petronas Twin Tower in Kuala Lumpur boast to have state of the art infrastructure and technology to accommodate global tenants. Asian has the priciest cities for expatriates - Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Eight of the ten priciest cities in the world are Asian cities. Thus skyscrapers are familiar urban horizons; the tallest building in the world is in Asia and the successors will also be in Asia. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) study, 13 of 15 cities with the worst air pollution are in Asia (air pollution, including lead poisoning, in Jakarta, Indonesia, according to an Asian Development Bank Study, was costing more than US$ 2 billion year in terms of brain damage to children and premature deaths and illnesses generally). Urban poverty is potentially the most explosive political, economic and social force in many mega cities of Asia, such as in Indonesia and India. For example, the number of urban poor is exceeding the rural poor, with profound socio-economic consequences. On the other side of the coin we have cities like Singapore that are aiming to be, and will probably succeed to be, the world's most intelligent city-management wise and information wise.