Maimunah Jaffar

Head of Planning and Compliance, Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) in Johor Bahru

“We need to educate the government leaders and others that ‘green development’ is not just planting a few nice trees!”

Maimunah has been at the forefront of sustainable development in Malaysia since 2007 when she joined the Iskandar Regional Development Authority. Although she was trained and worked as an architect and urban designer in the United States, her focus at IRDA has been on introducing the idea that sustainability requires balancing economic growth, environmental protection and social well-being. She is responsible for a project called the Johor Bahru Transformation. They are trying to increase Johor’s livability by improving public transit, reducing crime, and developing industrial clusters. She is also revising the Comprehensive Development Plan, incorporating low carbon development goals, making climate change a priority in the region.