From Sustainability Ambition to Action: What Malaysia and New Zealand Can Learn from Each Other

Sustainability has become one of the defining tests of modern governance. Ultimately, it is about how we improve people’s lives while protecting the world we leave for future generations. For governments, this means tackling climate change, ensuring food security, protecting biodiversity and making good use of new technologies, while making sure that economic growth benefits everyone. The real challenge is turning these ambitions into practical solutions that people can see and feel in their everyday lives.

For Malaysia, the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (RMK13), covering 2026–2030, and the broader concept of Malaysia MADANI provide a roadmap towards this goal. They reflect the belief that development should be about more than economic growth. It should also mean better governance, greater innovation, care for the environment and a better quality of life for all Malaysians.

But good policies alone are not enough. What matters is how well we put them into practice. This depends on having public servants who can turn ideas into action, find practical solutions and work across agencies to get things done. This is where cooperation between Malaysia and New Zealand can make a difference, not just by sharing experiences, but by learning from each other and finding approaches that work for both countries.

Turning Policy into Practice

Many sustainability challenges cannot be solved by one government agency working alone. Improving energy efficiency in public buildings, for instance, involves decisions about infrastructure, procurement and funding. Preparing for floods requires close coordination between disaster management, urban planning and environmental agencies. Ensuring food security, meanwhile, means bringing together agriculture, trade, logistics and technology.

In other words, good policies need people who can work across agencies, connect ideas with practical solutions and, most importantly, deliver results.

This is the thinking behind the Certified Public Sector Sustainability Consultant (CPS-SC) Programme. Developed by Sunway Business School at Sunway University in collaboration with the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI), the programme benchmarks New Zealand's world-class achievements in sustainability, from the wellbeing economy to green energy, transport management to education, and governance and leadership.

2. An exchange of ideas on leadership and sustainability with former Prime Minister Sir Bill English. Photo: Supplied

Convening 23 officials from 10 ministries and agencies to engage with their New Zealand counterparts, the delegation heard firsthand accounts on governance and integrity from former Prime Minister Sir Bill English, former Health Minister David Cunliffe, and underwent a masterclass on foresight from Dr Malcolm Menzies. They also engaged with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on climate change policy, learned about AI in the public sector with Inland Revenue, dissected a case study on New Zealand's COVID-19 experience and building a resilient healthcare system, and saw sustainability in action with Palmerston North City Council.

Bringing these officials together is particularly valuable. Sustainability issues often cut across traditional areas of responsibility, making cooperation between agencies essential. The visit gives participants an opportunity to learn from New Zealand’s experience, see how sustainability principles are put into practice, and consider which approaches could work in Malaysia’s own context.

Crucially, the learning does not end with the visit. Participants are expected to develop 90-day pilot projects that address practical challenges within their respective institutions and support the priorities of the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (RMK13). These could range from improving energy efficiency and protecting biodiversity to strengthening food security, advancing digital government and exploring the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

Why New Zealand? and Why Now

New Zealand's value as a learning partner lies not in offering a model to replicate, but in practical insights Malaysia can adapt to its own context. Its experience in preparing for climate risks and managing its natural environment is useful as Malaysia strengthens flood resilience and protects its rich biodiversity. Its emphasis on community wellbeing and public engagement shows how economic development can go hand in hand with social and environmental responsibility.

Māori concepts such as kaitiakitanga—guardianship of the natural world and responsibility to future generations—offer another perspective on sustainable development. They highlight the importance of treating natural resources not merely as assets for immediate use, but as a shared inheritance that carries obligations to future generations.

These ideas resonate with MADANI's emphasis on compassion, responsibility, and inclusive progress. Although Malaysia and New Zealand have different histories, cultures, and institutional arrangements, both share an interest in ensuring sustainable development and public policy that serves the wider community.

The learning runs both ways. Just as Malaysian officials examine how these principles translate into institutional practice, New Zealand can draw on Malaysia's development experience, policy approaches and sustainability initiatives.

A Lasting and Sustainable Partnership

The timing is apt. Malaysia and New Zealand will mark the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2027, celebrating seven decades of friendship and cooperation. Over the years, our ties have grown across trade, investment, education, defence and people-to-people engagement. The Strategic Partnership established in 2023 provides a strong foundation for taking this relationship further, guided by our shared priorities of prosperity, people, planet, and peace and security.

As both countries look towards this important milestone, sustainability and public-sector capability development offer practical ways to give the partnership greater depth. Malaysia and New Zealand face many similar challenges, from building resilience to climate change and promoting sustainable economic growth to preparing public institutions for emerging risks. There is much we can learn from each other in areas such as environmental governance, digital transformation, food security and public-sector innovation.

1. Participants learned more about the growing Malaysia-New Zealand partnership, including opportunities to work together in addressing shared challenges in climate change and sustainability. Photo: Supplied

The relationships formed and lessons gained in Wellington does not end when the delegation returns home. As the anniversary approaches, the CPS-SC Programme can become the starting point for a more sustained platform for cooperation: sharing case studies, connecting public-sector practitioners, supporting joint research and developing pilot projects that address common challenges.

Even small initiatives can make a difference when they produce useful results, are supported by the right institutions and offer lessons others can apply. Together, they can strengthen public institutions, deliver meaningful benefits to communities and give fresh momentum to a longstanding partnership.

The next chapter should be measured not by how often the two countries meet, but by what we build together. Let the lessons from Wellington become a continuing bridge between Malaysia and New Zealand, one that turns partnership into action, action into progress, and progress into a better future for generations to come.

-Asia Media Centre