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Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming has urged every Housing Ministry innovation to deliver tangible benefits, such as saving time and costs, optimizing resources, and enhancing service delivery speed and effectiveness. The minister highlighted the broad scope of innovation possibilities within the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), which manages housing, local government, cleanliness and solid waste management, fire and rescue services, and urban planning, all of which directly affect people's lives.
Speaking at the 2026 Ministry of Housing and Local Government Innovation Day (HIKPKT 2026), Nga emphasized the need to foster a consistent culture of innovation within KPKT, moving beyond competitions to become an integral part of public service delivery. The minister proposed rewarding KPKT personnel who win the Prime Minister's Innovation Award with an amount equivalent to one month's ministerial salary to further bolster the ministry's innovation culture.
The HIKPKT 2026 event, themed "Memperkasa Inovasi, Memacu Prestasi, Menyejahtera Rakyat," showcased 54 innovation projects, including 43 Innovative and Creative Group (KIK) projects and 11 Prime Minister's Innovation Award (AIM) projects. Penang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) secured the top two spots in the AIM competition with its Checkpoint Tracker project, which aids rescue teams in locating lost individuals in forests by using GPS technology, an SOS emergency feature, and a Progressive Web App.
The system enables rescue teams to pinpoint the exact location of lost individuals, reduce search times, and minimize operational costs and personnel requirements. Meanwhile, Puchong Fire and Rescue Station's Rescue Flex innovation, which combines three functions to address neck, arm, and leg injuries, won first place in the Department and Agency KIK category.
The innovation promises to save time and alleviate the burden on rescue personnel by reducing the need for multiple pieces of equipment during emergency operations, such as accident response and search-and-rescue missions.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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