AFPPD Secretariat In Kuala Lumpur To Drive Regional Population, Development Agenda

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) officially opened its new Secretariat house here, today, establishing a regional hub to accelerate parliamentary action on development issues across Asia and the Pacific.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul said the establishment of the facility, relocated from Tokyo, Japan, reflects Malaysia’s strong commitment to enhance parliamentary cooperation in addressing shared socio-economic challenges.

“The Secretariat is housed here because it demonstrates how important the organisation is. We could have located the office elsewhere. The fact that Parliament invited the organisation to establish its Secretariat here shows how serious we are about its role.

“We expect the Secretariat to address many outstanding issues and problems that have yet to be resolved, and I believe many of these initiatives are already in the pipeline. So it should be given the respect and assistance as much as we can,” he told reporters after officiating the opening ceremony at Rumah Kerajaan Parlimen Malaysia here, today.

Also present were Senate president Datuk Awang Bemee Awang Ali Basah; AFPPD chairperson Yoko Kamikawa; AFPPD Malaysia president Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi; AFPPD Global secretary-general Howard Lee Chuan How; and AFPPD executive director Dr Farrukh Usmonov.

Johari said the Secretariat would serve as a strategic base for advancing regional parliamentary initiatives, particularly in population ageing, gender equality and child welfare.

“Our expectation is certainly to see more active activities in this region and at the Parliament level, I and certainly the president of the Upper House, are looking forward to assist in wherever we can,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Nanta, who is also Works Minister, said the establishment of the AFPPD Global Secretariat in Malaysia would enable the country to play a more direct role in planning and implementing programmes related to population and development.

“We are honoured to have the opportunity to officiate the opening of the AFPPD Global Secretariat office, which is now based in Kuala Lumpur. This is a truly historic moment for us as we have been given the honour of hosting the AFPPD Global Secretariat, which has been relocated from Tokyo, Japan, to Malaysia.

“This will enable us to determine and organise various programmes, not only in Malaysia but, more importantly, in the countries that are part of the AFPPD, which comprises more than 30 countries,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Lee said the AFPPD Secretariat house was developed at a total cost of RM958,930, including an AFPPD contribution of RM168,000, adding that the construction began on July 15, 2025, and was completed on Jan 10, 2026.

“We currently have a team comprising the secretary-general, executive director, communications and media personnel, and finance personnel. This will allow us to operate as quickly, efficiently, and effectively as possible,” said Lee, who is also the Ipoh Timur member of parliament.

--BERNAMA