KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — The 2023 Federal Territory Day (SHWP 2023) celebration will focus on ongoing programmes for the B40 and the poor in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.
Director General of the Federal Territories Department (JWP) Datuk Seri Rosida Jaafar said the people-friendly programmes which involve the participation of people from various races and walks of life would be held throughout the month of February.
She said it would be in line with the theme for this year’s celebration, which is ‘Federal Territories for All’, and to meet JWP’s aspiration to make Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan into cities that reflect the values of unity, understanding and sense of belonging by the community in the federal territories.
She said the theme also symbolised the consensus and togetherness of citizens in the federal territories, regardless of race, ethnicity and religion, towards making the federal territories the centre of the country’s economic growth.
“The selection of this theme is in line with the national goal of Madani Malaysia, which emphasises inclusion and equality among the diverse society, especially in the Federal Territories.
“I believe the selection of the theme is capable of stimulating a sense of belonging among the citizens of the Federal Territories to jointly develop and prosper the federal territories towards becoming sustainable and habitable metropolitan cities,” she said in a statement to Bernama.
She said the main programmes to mark the celebration would include the Jualan Rakyat MYGrocer@Wilayah, Baiti Jannati@Wilayah Persekutuan and the Musical Water Formation, which involves a rhythmic fountain show and light decorations.
“There will also be the Fly the Federal Territory Flag campaign held from last Jan 15 to this Feb 28 and the Mucang-Mucang Se Wilayah programme, which is a synonym for gotong-royong activities in the Bruneian dialect.
“Other programmes include sales of products by petty traders and hawkers, Yassin reading and Doa Selamat on Feb 2, the Special Friday Sermon in conjunction with SHWP 2023 on Feb 3 and the blood donation campaign,” she added.
Rosida said all the programmes for SHWP 2023 were arranged in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recommendation for ministries and government agencies to stop organising large-scale events to avoid wasting government spending.
Federal Territory Day is celebrated on Feb 1 every year to commemorate the declaration of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan as Federal Territories and this year is the 19th celebration since it was introduced in 2004.
Kuala Lumpur was declared a Federal Territory in 1974, while Labuan in 1984 and Putrajaya in 2001.
Meanwhile, Rosida said the governance and regulation of the Federal Territory were now under JWP, which is now an agency under the Prime Minister’s Department, following the restructuring of the Federal Territories Ministry into a Federal Territories Department.
“In this regard, the role and function of JWP have become more significant considering that the affairs of the Federal Territories are now administered directly under the control of the Prime Minister as the Minister responsible for the Federal Territories,” she said.
According to her, JWP remains committed to bringing the Federal Territories towards sustainable physical, economic, social and environmental development through inclusive strategic cooperation in guaranteeing the progress and well-being of their citizens in line with the goals of Madani Malaysia.
Rosida said JWP through the JWP Strategic Plan 2021-2025 has outlined 78 programmes and activities encompassing eight main strategic cores, namely Clean Region, Public Safety, Efficient Transport System, Sustainable Socio-Economy, Green Environment, Inclusive Community, Sustainable Planning and Management of Land use and Sustainable and Organisational Governance and Capabilities.
— Bernama
