KUALA LUMPUR – The capital city of Malaysia claimed the 32nd spot on the Safe Cities Index 2021, scoring slightly above average among 60 cities worldwide, according to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Kuala Lumpur scored an overall point of 66.6 this year, compared with 66.3 in 2019, when it placed 35th. It is also ranked higher than major cities such as Beijing, Dubai and Jakarta.
Topping the international list is Copenhagen with 82.4 points, followed by Toronto, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Wellington, Hong Kong, Melbourne and Stockholm.
The EIU report is based on 76 indicators grouped under five security domains, namely digital, health, personal, infrastructure and environmental – a new domain this year.
The report said the introduction of the new domain reflects the increased importance of sustainability issues and climate adaptation measures amid the pandemic.
Kuala Lumpur scored below average for digital (35th), health (38th), personal (33rd) and infrastructure (37th) security. The city, however, ranked 10th place in the environmental security domain with 81.0 points.
The report said the index measures urban safety in an objective manner around the world, enabling comparability across cities of varying sizes and at different income levels.
“The index encompasses multiple dimensions such as governance, infrastructure, as well as socio-economic factors and technological systems. The index also covers major cities across different geographies, income levels and sizes.
“In recent years, urban safety has evolved to include factors that range from the physical to the virtual.
“Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed gaps and weaknesses in existing defences in cities, leading policymakers to urgently refocus their attention on the evolving risks and rethink their urban strategies.”
EIU senior editor Naka Kondo said experts have informed the team that the health crisis has changed the whole concept of urban safety.
“Covid-19 is the first global pandemic to strike humanity since we became a predominantly urban species.
“Digital security is now an even higher priority as more work and commerce have moved online.
“Those responsible for infrastructure safety have to adjust to dramatic changes in travel patterns and where residents consume utilities; those responsible for personal security need to address a large, lockdown-driven shift in crime patterns; and, the priority that officials and urban residents assign to environmental security has risen, as Covid-19 serves as a stark warning of unexpected crises.” – The Vibes, August 23, 2021
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