Nairobi, 16 April 2015 — The city of Kuala Lumpur, the host of the ninth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF9) in 2018 declared on Thursday that they were up to the task.

At a press conference in Nairobi on the sidelines of the PrepCom2, Malaysia’s Minister for Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Mr. Abdul Rahman Dahlan said every measure had been put in place to ensure a successful Forum.

“I was in Medellin for the WUF7 and I witnessed a huge crowd. I am sure Kuala Lumpur will witness the biggest crowd it has ever seen but I have no doubt we will handle the situation,” he said.

The minister enumerated the various infrastructural projects currently underway or just completed which he said put Kuala Lumpur in a good stead to host the meeting. He expressed happiness that WUF was going back to the Asian continent after Nanjing, China in 2008.

Addressing the same event, UN-Habitat Executive Director Dr. Joan Clos said it was befitting that Kula Lumpur, a city which has won a UN-Habitat award for effective traffic control, was hosting WUF9. Kuala Lumpur's Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) won the UN Habitat Scroll of Honour in 2011.

Asia was the most populated region in the world, Dr. Clos said, adding that it automatically meant urbanisation in that part of the globe would also be fast.