Smart Cities Asia 2025
Smart, Sustainable, and Strong: Shaping Climate-Ready Cities of Tomorrow
Overview
A decade ago, we aimed to create a platform where industry experts, policymakers, and urban innovators could connect, share knowledge, and inspire public-private partnerships. Now, the Smart Cities Asia conference is crucial for shaping the future of cities in Malaysia and the region. The 11th Smart Cities Asia 2025 will explore ‘Future Metropolis: Towards a Connected, Sustainable and Equitable Urbanity’, driven by ‘Connect. Sustain. Thrive.’ This year, we focus on implementing Smart City strategies across Policy, Program, and Project delivery, fostering collaboration and building a year-round platform for impactful knowledge exchange.
Registration
Registration of 11th Annual Conference and Exhibition Smart Cities Asia 2025
Panel Discussion
Panel Discussion: Smart City Climate Intelligence – Predictive Tech for Resilience and Regeneration
- Deploying AI-driven climate intelligence tools to predict and mitigate risks, increasing cities’ resilience to environmental disruption.
- Integrating climate foresight models into urban planning strategies, aligning long-term infrastructure development with
sustainability goals.
Moderator
Juan Intan Kanggrawan
Advisor and Head of Data and Digital Products, Smart Cities and GovTech, Indonesia
Panelist
Mark Thomas
Managing Director and Founder, Serviceworks Group, New Zealand
Ar. Ahila Ganesan
Founder and Managing Director of Future LinQ and Senior Advisor of Think City, Malaysia
Muhammad Firdaus Ammar Abdullah
Director, Research and Technical Development Division, MET Malaysia
Opening Remarks
Opening Remarks
Speaker
Selva Nagappan
Organising Chairman, 11th Annual Conference Smart Cities Asia 2025 & Managing Director, Knowledge Group of Companies
Keynote Address
Plenary Address: From Hype to Habit – Turning Smart City Ideas into Everyday Systems
- Shifting focus from tech-first to people-first design to ensure solutions fit cultural context, deliver real value, and improve
quality of life. - Building sustainable ecosystems by connecting governments, local integrators, and citizens to turn pilot projects into long-term urban systems..
Speaker
Dr. Non Arkaraprasertkul
Senior Expert in Smart City Promotion, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), Thailand
Presentation
AI for Sustainable Intelligence: Accelerating Ipoh Towards a Doughnut Economic City 2027
- Leveraging AI for urban planning, energy management, and mobility systems to balance social needs with ecological limits.
- Empowering communities through data-driven inclusivity, ensuring citizen participation in shaping Ipoh’s regenerative
and sustainable future.
Speaker
TPr Dr. Zulqarnain Mohamad
Chief Executive Ocer of the Ipoh Doughnut Economic Centre, Ipoh City Council, Malaysia
Presentation
VSP as a Smart Crime Prevention Tool – Empowering Citizens for Safer Cities
- Discuss strategies to promote VSP usage among citizens and build trust in digital crime-reporting tools.
- How VSP bridges the gap between law enforcement and the public to enable faster response and smarter urban safety.
Speaker
ACP Foo Chek Seng
Deputy Director, Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department (Operations) of Kuala Lumpur Contingent Police Headquarters, Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysia
Presentation
Governing the Algorithm – Trustworthy AI in Smart Public Sector Transformation
- Building ethical AI governance policies that ensure fair deployment, empowering citizens and increasing trust in smart public services.
- Implementing transparent algorithmic frameworks that prioritize comprehensibility, participatory input, and accountability in urban decision-making processes.
Speaker
Shamsul Izhan Abdul Majid
Chief Executive Ocer, National AI Oce (NAIO), Malaysia
Break
Networking Luncheon
Panel Discussion
From Jammed Roads to Seamless Rides – Solving the Public Transport Paradox for Smarter, Greener Cities
- Building trust through dependable schedules and enhanced service quality, ensuring public transport becomes a reliable and convenient alternative to private vehicles.
- Exploring policy, investment, and design strategies to make public transport the first choice for sustainable city mobility.
Moderator
Syarifah Nuraida T. Mohd Apandi
Head of Centre for Smart City Planning, Central Zone Project Oce, PLANMalaysia, Malaysia
Panelist
Ir. Ahmad Nizam Mohamed Amin
Chief Technical Officer, KTMB, Malaysia
Nor Nasyriq Shahirudin
Deputy Project Director (KUTS), Sarawak Metro, Malaysia
Chad Zhang
Managing Director, China Railway Signal and Communication International (CRSCI), Malaysia
Panel Discussion
AI Governance for Cities – Building Trust, Transparency, and Accountability in a Data-Driven Era
- Implement urban AI policies to ensure ethical, transparent, and accountable use of AI in municipal services.
- Establish public oversight mechanisms such as algorithmic audits and citizen review boards to build trust in data-driven governance.
Moderator
Juan Intan Kanggrawan
Advisor and Head of Data and Digital Products, Smart Cities and GovTech, Indonesia
Panelist
TPr Gs Mohd Bashir Sulaiman
Director of Planning and Development, City Council of Penang Island, Malaysia
Dr. Non Arkaraprasertkul
Senior Expert in Smart City Promotion, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), Thailand
Muhundhan Kamarapullai
Chief Digital Ocer, MRANTI, Malaysia
Presentation
The Decentralized Shift: Building Smarter Cities with Blockchain and Mesh Networks
- Empowering underserved and climate-vulnerable areas through decentralized water, energy, and data systems using blockchain and mesh networks.
- Reducing reliance on centralized infrastructure by enabling community-driven autonomy, transparency, and resilience in urban service delivery.
Speaker
Mark Thomas
Managing Director and Founder, Serviceworks Group, New Zealand
Fireside Chat
Fireside Chat: EVs – Sustainable Future or Overcharged Hype?
- Discuss the full lifecycle impact of EV’s from rare earth mining to battery disposal and wheter they genuinely reduce carbon footprints
- Exploring challenge whether current EV adoption is driven by sustainablity goals or industry trends and if cities are truly ready with the right infrastructure.
Moderator
Norhasliza Mohd Mokhtar
Senior Director, Climate Action Group, Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC), Malaysia
Panelist
Ir. Mohd Razif Abd Halim
Managing Director, TNBX, Malaysia
End
Evening refreshment and End of Day One Smart Cities Asia 2025
Registration
Registration of 11th Annual Conference and Exhibition Smart Cities Asia 2025
Panel Discussion
Future-Proof Smart Citizens – Digital Literacy, Inclusion and Civic Tech for All
- Launching inclusive civic technology platforms that empower digitally underserved communities through accessible tools, education, and participatory governance features.
- Expanding smart education and identity systems to enhance digital literacy, fostering equal engagement in urban innovation ecosystems.
Moderator
Dr. Michele Sagan
Director, Workforce Transformation, PwC, Malaysia
Panelists
Ts. Dr. Mohd Muzzammil Ismail
Vice President, Head of Sustainable Development and Technologies, MIGHT, Malaysia
Budiman Bujang
Deputy Chief Digital Officer, Johor Corporation (JCorp), Malaysia
Loo Chuan Boon
Chief Operating Officer, Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec), Malaysia
Panel Discussion
Strengthening ASEAN’s Digital Infrastructure – Enabling Trusted IoT with 5G and Edge Computing
- Tackle key challenges in accelerating 5G rollout, improving cross-border connectivity, and building edge-ready infrastructure for real-time applications.
- Explore how trusted IoT ecosystems can be developed through secure architectures, localized data processing, and regionally aligned regulatory frameworks.
Moderator
Pathma
Honorary Treasurer, Malaysia IoT Association, Malaysia
Panelists
Ts. Ahmad Shahie Sobry
Head of Business Solution Delivery and Technology Strategy, Digital Nasional Berhad, Malaysia
Marshidah Mansor
Chief Marketing Officer, MSA Resources, Malaysia
Break
Morning Refreshment
Presentation
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act: Turning Legal Mandates into Smarter, Efficient Cities
- Translating legislation into action on how the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Act shapes policies, incentives, and compliance measures for city-wide energy efficiency.
- Leveraging the Act to integrate smarter energy use across buildings, transport, and public infrastructure.
Speaker
Norazrin Rupadi
Deputy Director of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Department, Energy Commission, Malaysia
Panel Discussion
Billion-Ringgit Leak – Smart City Strategies to Neutralize the Non-Revenue Water Crisis
- Deploying smart water technologies (e.g. IoT sensors, digital meters, AI analytics) to detect, monitor, and reduce water loss in real time.
- Strengthening policy, governance, and utility collaboration to drive accountability, financing, and scalable NRW reduction in urban systems.
Moderator
Mohamad Hairi Basri
President, Malaysian Water Association (MWA), Malaysia
Panelists
Khairul Effendy Tusam
Chief Operating Officer, Ranhill SAJ, Malaysia
Jasmine Voo
Executive Director, Climate Asia, Malaysia
Break
Networking Luncheon
Presentation
Smart Cities Begin with Smart Communities: Cultivating a First-Class Mindset for an Intelligent Society
- Explore how education, civic engagement, and digital literacy empower communities to actively participate in smart city transformation.
- Discuss the role of values, discipline, and public behavior in building high-functioning, intelligent urban ecosystems.
Speaker
Kristel R. Villanueva-Libunao
Executive Director, SmartCT, Philippines
Presentation
Energy Renaissance: Supercharged Cities with Net-Zero Tech
- Powering next-generation urban energy with integrated clean energy systems and renewable innovations to achieve carbon-neutral operations.
- Building resilient and future-ready living through infrastructure, mobility, and services that deliver efficiency, climate resilience, and seamless citizen engagement in a net-zero world.
Speaker
Professor Ts. Dr. Shahrina Md Nordin
Fellow for Energy Institute and Director Smart and Sustainable Living Institute, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia
Panel Discussion
Securing Smart Cities – Cybersecurity in the Hyperconnected Digital Ecosystem
- Explore how to secure critical smart city infrastructure from IoT sensors to public Wi-Fi against growing cyber threats.
- Discuss strategies for safeguarding citizen data, enforcing cybersecurity standards, and maintaining public trust in hyperconnected environments.
Moderator
Pathma
Honorary Treasurer, Malaysia IoT Association, Malaysia
Panelists
Jaco Benadie
Partner, Cybersecurity and OT Leader, Ernst & Young Consulting Sdn Bhd, Malaysia
Kristel R. Villanueva-Libunao
Executive Director, SmartCT, Philippines
In Conversation
Smart Government in Action – GovTech, Real-Time Data and Inclusive City Planning
- Enabling real-time data exchange to break down agency data silos and support evidencedriven urban planning and operational decision-making.
- Empowering citizen reporting and transparency via tools that leverages AI and messaging apps to transform public feedback into actionable urban governance data.
Moderator
Wendy Leong
Committee Member, Malaysia Smart City Alliance Association (MSCA), Malaysia
Panelists
Juan Intan Kanggrawan
Advisor and Head of Data and Digital Products, Smart Cities and GovTech, Indonesia