09/09/2025

LYFE TUESDAY | SEPT 9, 2025

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Selangor targets five new Madani recreational parks by year-end

THE Selangor government aims to complete at least five Madani recreational parks in the state by the end of the year to provide more modern and inclusive community recreation spaces. State Local Government and Tourism executive councillor Datuk Ng Suee Lim said the development is being carried out in phases by local authorities in several identified locations,

officer Chua Yee Ling said the initiative is expected to further promote arrivals to the state, particularly in eco-tourism. “We are indeed focused on promoting eco-tourism and agro-tourism in Selangor… we see that the state government is now giving serious attention to all sustainable and green development,” she said. – Bernama

during the Matta Fair at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre recently, where he launched 88 exhibitions held in conjunction with Selangor’s campaign to attract eight million tourists. He said the recreational parks will be equipped with various facilities, including Wi-Fi. Meanwhile, Tourism Selangor chief executive

including in Sepang and Kuala Langat. “I am confident that by the end of this year, between three to five Madani recreational parks can be completed. I believe the local authorities are already alert to their implementation. “We want the parks to have ‘Kita Selangor’ characteristics and to ensure every community will have a more comprehensive facility,” he said

SMK SAAS students taking part in an activity during the Smart Shopper Plus programme.

The programme takes four hours from start to finish.

Lotus’s advances financial literacy o Retail chain partners with NGO to teach students how to spend wisely

Ű BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR

L OTUS’S STORES (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Lotus’s Malaysia) together with the Pintar Foundation are set to make a meaningful impact on thousands of under-resourced students for the remainder of 2025. Ahead of the third annual Lotus’s Ceria Charity Run (CCR) 2025 this month, the retail chain has announced its commitment to channel the RM400,000 raised from CCR 2024 into education programmes under the Lotus’s-Pintar Smart Up School Programme. The programme will benefit more than 6,400 students, aged 10 to 15, from 40 of Lotus’s adopted schools nationwide. The programme was designed to raise awareness among students on the importance of money management, and to foster positive financial and shopping habits from an early age. The first school to experience the programme was SMK Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (SMK SAAS) in Kajang last month, with participation from Form Two students. According to Lotus’s Malaysia communications and sustainability head Hanim Hamdan, the school was selected through the recommendation of Pintar Foundation. SMK SAAS was the first of 63 schools to go through the programme. “The programme’s objective is to teach students how to be financially savvy. It teaches them how to budget and to understand the difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’,” she said. Wiser kids, smarter shoppers Developed in collaboration with Pintar Foundation, the programme aims to provide students with robust and sustainable education through two key phases: 0 Phase 1: Smart Shopper Plus Instil a smart consumer mindset through specially designed modules that encompass “needs” versus “wants”, visualising financial goals, Smart budgeting, cost comparison and packaging awareness.

Hanim (sixth from left), Maheran (sixth from right) with Pintar Foundation representatives and brand partners during the launch of the programme.

0 Phase 2: Smart Learning Students will progress to this stage to learn practical strategies for enhancing academic performance, navigating adolescence and creating a supportive school environment. Phase 2 is scheduled to begin in the latter part of the year. For Smart Shopper Plus, the programme has four modules, with the first being Needs and Wants, where students learn to differentiate between the two. Next, is Smart Budgeting, which covers what a budget is, its importance and how to create one. The third module is Smart Spending, which teaches students how to stretch money, to get the best value and the difference between promotions. At the end of the programme, students will be exposed to the final module Packaging

“For me, it is hard to save money as it will always finish fast. The programme has shown me how to spend and manage my finances better,” she said. Another student said she had a greater understanding of the importance and value of money. “I learned that we should spend wisely and not just on whatever we want.” Lotus’s will bring back its third annual CCR 2025 on Sept 14 at Lotus’s Bandar Bukit Puchong. Continuing its mission, RM20 from each ticket sold will be channelled to the Lotus’s-Pintar Smart Up Programme. Tickets are limited with some categories already sold out. Registrations are open until Friday at www.jomrun.com/event/Lotus’s-Ceria Charity-Run-2025-Powered-By-JomRun.

Awareness, which is about how to read and understand the different information on labels, boxes and so on, in order to make smart and healthy choices when shopping. As SMK SAAS headmistress Maheran Abdul Rahman put it: “The initiative and programme by Lotus’s and Pintar Foundation is helpful for students to better understand the importance in becoming an intelligent consumer.” Practical takeaways Following the first half of the programme, the media spoke to SMK SAAS students on their experience. One student said that before the programme began, she had hoped it would explain ways to spend money carefully to avoid wastage.