11/06/2026

THURSDAY | JUNE 11, 2026

/thesuntelegram FOLLOW / Malaysian Paper

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Selangor rolls out disability policy to boost inclusion

Kelantan Arts Festival aims for 150,000 visitors KOTA BHARU: The Kelantan Arts Festival is targeting an attendance of around 150,000 visitors over its four-day run from July 1 to 4 at the Tok Bali Tourist Jetty in Pasir Puteh. The festival, now in its ninth edition, serves as a major platform to showcase Kelantan’s arts, culture and heritage to locals and visitors, said state National Culture and Arts Department director Rohaniza Abdullah. She said the festival will run daily from 10am to 11pm, featuring a range of programmes that highlight the state’s unique cultural heritage, including dikir barat, makyong, wayang kulit, rebana ubi, kertok, martial arts, traditional music and multicultural performances. “We are also organising various competitions and community activities to give visitors a closer experience of Kelantan’s cultural heritage.” She added that visitors can take part in activities such as baling tin, decok, biddah, konda kondi, silat tari, decorated kolek, ayam serama displays, traditional cooking and pulut sirih junjung arrangements. Rohaniza said the festival will showcase demonstrations of traditional games, such as wau bercahaya, sepak raga bakul, tarik upih, archery and coconut-shell racing, many of which are largely unknown to the younger generation. There will also be a range of exhibition and sales areas under segments such as Pasar Melayu Klasik, Foodie Fest and Wakaf Seni Budaya, alongside government agency showcases and local entrepreneurs, as well as sharing sessions with social media influencer Biso Demo Mek Yun and several successful Kelantan-born business figures. She said the festival, themed Pakat Mari Belako, Tengok Mene Kito , aims to highlight Kelantan’s artistic and cultural identity while giving artists a platform to showcase their creativity, Bernama reported. Meanwhile, Kelantan Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Kamaruddin Md Nor said the festival, jointly organised by the department and state government, has received strong backing from 20 sponsors committed to ensuring its success. Nga said the initiative is expected to reduce landfill dependency while creating new economic opportunities within the circular economy supply chain. “Recycling is not only about reducing waste. It also creates jobs and generates economic value across the circular economy.” In addition to the existing 131 Drive-Through Recycling Centres, the ministry is targeting the development of 18 Waste-to-Energy facilities to diversify energy sources and strengthen long-term sustainability. The government said the combined measures are part of a wider effort to modernise waste management and reinforce environmental sustainability under the Malaysia Madani framework.

o Initiative marks shift from passive approach to one centred on rights, active participation and empowerment: Social welfare committee

SHAH ALAM: The state government has launched the Selangor Persons with Disabilities Policy and Action Plan 2026-2030 to strengthen inclusion and support the holistic development of the state’s approximately 150,000 registered persons with disabilities (PWDs). State Women Development and Social Welfare Committee chairman Anfaal Saari said the comprehensive policy marks a significant shift from a passive welfare-based approach towards one centred on rights, active participation and empowerment. “This proactive step is intended to ensure the PWD community is recognised as an equal strategic partner in the state’s development. “The policy was formulated based on field studies involving PWDs, caregivers, NGOs, government agencies and academics,” she told reporters after launching the policy at Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Dewan Tuanku Canselor here on Tuesday. TAWAU: A total of 22 federal projects in Sabah classified as “sick” projects require closer monitoring and improvement. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said land-related issues and poor contractor performance were among the factors contributing to the delays. “Some of these projects have been delayed due to land issues. If that is the cause, we need to find ways to expedite the process. I do not want Sabah to be branded as a state with ‘sick projects’. We want to move away from that image. “If land issues are the main obstacle, then a special task force to deal specifically with such matters should be established. It could perhaps start in Tawau, such as for the Immigration Detention Depot upgrading project under Package 1.” Mustapha said if delayed or “sick” projects were caused by incompetent contractors, appropriate measures must be taken to address the issue, including replacing the contractors concerned. In addition, he said 83 development projects have been recorded in Tawau, with 44 projects worth RM50 million at the pre-implementation stage. Commenting on a petition calling for Filipino refugees holding IMM13 documents in Sabah to be repatriated to their home country, Mustapha said the matter should be studied by the Home Ministry and Foreign Ministry. He said the issue must also take into account historical, legal and international policy considerations. The online petition has garnered more than 38,683 signatures in the five days since Friday. – Bernama ‘Sick’ projects need closer monitoring

transparent implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the policy, with government agencies and stakeholders expected to play accountable roles. She added that as a follow-up measure, the Selangor Disability Action Council has begun advocacy and awareness workshops with local authority planners and engineers to improve compliance with existing guidelines. Earlier, accompanied by council chairman and Batu Tiga assemblyman Danial Al-Rashid Haron, Anfaal presented RM90,000 in grants to three recipients under the Selangor Inclusive Innovation Programme. She also presented awards to PWD students who excelled in the 2025 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination, 2025 bachelor’s degree graduates and participants of the recent Global IT Challenge in South Korea.

On Anfaal acknowledged that making older developments fully PWD-friendly could be challenging, but improvements could begin with new developments. She said the state government would determine mandatory UD requirements to be incorporated into development planning and complied with by developers, Bernama reported. “The action plan must serve as a genuine instrument of change and not merely remain a document on paper.” Anfaal said the state government is fully committed to ensuring accessibility,

Anfaal said the policy is designed to bridge the gap between policymaking and implementation through a structured framework guided by five key pillars, namely quality of life and social equity, education and lifelong learning, productivity and economic development, accessibility and universal design (UD), as well as governance and advocacy. She said the policy, which is guided by the principles of maqasid syariah, also seeks to improve access to healthcare services, early intervention programmes, mental health support for PWDs and caregivers, economic participation, and inclusive worship facilities.

STRIKING SHOW ... Dancers performing a creative gamelan programme at the Batik Lantern Ceremony: Shining the Art of Traditional Clothing of Perak, which took place at the Tuanku Chancelor’s Hall, Sultan Azlan Shah Campus of the Sultan Idris Education University in Tanjong Malim yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

Recycling facilities to be mandated in over 1,000 malls

approvals, stakeholder engagement, voluntary registration and public awareness campaigns involving state governments, local authorities and industry players. From January to June 2027, pilot projects will be introduced at selected local authority areas alongside amendments to by-laws to test implementation and infrastructure readiness. The third phase, from July to December 2027, will introduce targeted mandatory enforcement through licensing conditions based on findings from the pilot phase. Full enforcement is scheduled to begin in January 2028, with continuous monitoring to integrate recycling facilities into Malaysia’s broader solid waste management system.

Ű BY THESUN TEAM newsdesk@thesundaily.com

“By making recycling facilities a licensing requirement, we are making it easier for the public while boosting sustainable development.” He added that the aim is to make recycling “as easy as shopping”, with accessible facilities in malls nationwide allowing consumers and businesses to separate and deposit recyclable materials conveniently. Malaysia generates more than 39,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, placing continued pressure on landfill capacity. The government said improving recycling rates is key to reducing dependence on disposal sites while strengthening resource recovery systems. The programme will be rolled out in four phases beginning this month. The first phase focuses on

PETALING JAYA: More than 1,000 shopping malls nationwide will be required to install recycling facilities by the end of the year, in a sweeping government move to turn everyday waste into economic value and accelerate Malaysia’s shift towards a circular economy. The initiative, announced by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, follows a Cabinet decision on Friday and will make recycling facilities a mandatory condition for business licensing at major retail premises. Nga said the policy reflects the government’s push to treat waste not as a burden but as a resource with economic potential.