PUTRAJAYA: Budget 2026, scheduled to be tabled next month, is expected to focus on boosting the tourism sector in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan in support of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), says Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) said an engagement session had been held with the Finance Ministry where her ministry shared its priorities and aspirations for the coming year.
“This time, we are focusing on the local authorities under the Federal Territories with emphasis on further developing Labuan, especially in terms of tourism.
“Apart from that, we are gearing up for VM2026. There are many programmes planned, including initiatives to beautify Kuala Lumpur further, to ensure we present the best possible image of our capital city,” she told the media after flagging off participants of the FT Run Putrajaya 2025 here yesterday, Bernama reported.
Dr Zaliha also expressed hope that the Finance Ministry would support the efforts of the Federal Territories Department to enhance Kuala Lumpur’s appeal in conjunction with VM2026 to attract more domestic and foreign tourists.
Budget 2026 is scheduled to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 10.
The focus will also be on strengthening fiscal resilience, reinforcing economic fundamentals and improving the people’s standard of living.
It will continue to emphasise the three pillars of the Madani Economy, namely raising the ceiling of national growth, improving living standards and driving reforms, particularly in governance.
Regarding the FT Run Putrajaya, organised by the Federal Territories Sports Council and the Federal Territories Youth and Sports Department, Dr Zaliha said the 5km run attracted nearly 2,000 participants.
“The programme aims to promote an active and healthy lifestyle among the community in line with the vision of ‘Bandar CHASE’, particularly its ‘Healthy City’ component, which has received an encouraging response from Putrajaya residents,” she said.
The Bandar CHASE vision seeks to transform all three Federal Territories into Clean, Healthy, Advanced, Safe and Eco-Friendly cities.