KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has been successfully elected as the host country for the secretariat of the Asian Forum on Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), marking a significant milestone in the nation's leadership role in advancing population and development issues across the region.
The decision was made at the 15th General Assembly of the AFPPD, held in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday (April 27) where Malaysia's bid, led by Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Chair of AFPPD Malaysia and the Works Minister, received overwhelming support from all member states.
"This win reflects Malaysia’s strong commitment to promoting sustainable development, gender equality, health rights and the welfare of people across Asia and the Pacific,” said AFPPD in a statement on Monday (April 28).
Nanta, in his posting on Facebook, expressed Malaysia's honour at the trust placed in the country by its regional counterparts.
"Hosting the AFPPD secretariat is a recognition of Malaysia’s proactive role in championing critical issues such as youth empowerment, gender equality, ageing populations and reproductive health.
"We are committed to ensuring that the secretariat will serve as a dynamic and inclusive platform to foster dialogue, collaboration and impactful action across our region,” he said.
According to the statement, the AFPPD secretariat will be relocated from Japan to Kuala Lumpur where it will support parliamentarians in addressing population and development challenges over the next five years.
It will coordinate programmes, research and capacity-building to equip lawmakers with knowledge and policy tools.
Malaysia, which has also been granted the privilege of leading the AFPPD’s secretariat, has unanimously nominated Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee to take up the leadership role.
In addition to the secretary general from Malaysia, the leadership includes a chairperson from Japan and five vice chairpersons from New Zealand, Cambodia, China, India and Kyrgyzstan.
Meanwhile, Parit Sulong MP Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad has been selected as the chairperson of the Standing Committee for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment for a term of four years.
This milestone highlights Malaysia’s growing role in international parliamentary diplomacy and its commitment to a more equitable, inclusive and resilient Asia-Pacific.
Malaysia looks forward to collaborating with all AFPPD member states to advance the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The AFPPD, established in 1981, is a broad network of 30 national committees consisting of parliamentarians, focused on promoting parliamentary involvement in addressing population issues in the Asia and Pacific regions. - Bernama
