FEDERAL Territory Day celebrations this year will be simple, with a reduction in spending by about tenfold, says Datuk Seri Rosida Jaafar.
The Federal Territories Department director-general said the move was in line with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recommendations to keep costs to a minimum.
Although the allocation for the year was not revealed, it was learnt that some past Federal Territory Day celebrations involved budgets ranging between RM3mil and RM5mil.
Federal Territory Day is celebrated on Feb 1. It was customary for the previous Federal Territories Ministry to collaborate with the local authorities for Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan to hold a series of events throughout the month.
"We are not doing away with the celebration, just that we will be extra prudent with expenditure to keep it lower by tenfold compared to the previous years.
"Programmes can still be run in collaboration with the private sector, community and schools.
"The giving of aid will be focused on vulnerable groups," she said after distributing Federal Territory flags to residents and school representatives, as well as giving out food and cash aid to some 100 poor families at Kompleks Perbadanan Putrajaya in Precinct 3 on Jan 25.
She said such efforts have always been practised in the past, but would be intensified this year.
