By: Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
IPOH: The City of Ipoh, which now has a population of over 720,000, is set to celebrate the 38th anniversary of its city status through a series of programmes focusing on public wellbeing, smart city development and environmental sustainability.
Director of Management Services at the Ipoh City Council (MBI), Ahmad Zaiyadi Sudin said this year’s celebration carries the theme “Uplifting Aspirations, A Smart City”, reflecting MBI’s continued commitment to driving a more organised, intelligent, sustainable and prosperous urban development agenda.
He said the celebration is not only aimed at commemorating Ipoh’s 38-year journey as a city, but also at strengthening unity among the community, government agencies and local authorities.
“As the state capital of Perak, Ipoh continues to grow as an administrative, commercial, educational, financial, sports and religious hub, in line with the aspiration of making the city more liveable and people-friendly,” he said in an interview with Perak FM today.
He added that the main highlight of the celebration will take place on June 18 at the Ipoh Convention Centre, featuring the launch carnival of the Ipoh City Day 38th Anniversary beginning at 8am, followed by the official launch ceremony at 2.30pm, as well as the Perak Smart City Colloquium 2026.
He said various activities have also been lined up throughout June, including the Malaysia Heritage Run 2026, colouring competitions, pétanque, fishing competitions and traditional archery championships to encourage participation from people of all age groups.
In efforts to help residents cope with the rising cost of living, MBI will also organise a Rahmah Sale on June 18, a Cheap Sale Carnival from June 26 to July 3, as well as offer a 50 per cent reduction in traffic compound fines from June 18 to July 18.
“This programme reflects MBI’s concern for the welfare and wellbeing of city residents, while ensuring that the benefits are enjoyed by the community,” he said.
He added that Ipoh’s commitment towards a low-carbon city is reflected through the Ipoh Low Carbon Day programme on June 28 at Dataran Ipoh, which focuses on promoting green lifestyle practices and environmental sustainability awareness.
At the same time, the Ipoh Bestari Sejahtera Outreach Programme will be carried out across all councillor zones to enable MBI to engage with local communities, gather feedback from residents and improve service delivery at grassroots level.
He expressed hope that all Ipoh residents would take part in the planned programmes, as the city anniversary celebration is not merely an annual event but a platform to strengthen love and appreciation for the city, which was officially declared a city on May 27, 1988.
“Through the cooperation of all parties, we can make Ipoh a smarter, more prosperous, clean, sustainable and proud city,” he said.
