PUTRAJAYA, Oct 1 — Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming has called for every innovation developed by ministry personnel to translate into tangible benefits for the people by saving time and costs, optimising resources, and improving the speed and effectiveness of service delivery.
He said there is ample scope for innovation at the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) as it oversees housing, local government, cleanliness and solid waste management, fire and rescue services, as well as urban planning, all of which have a direct impact on people’s lives.
“I hope efforts to foster a culture of innovation among KPKT personnel will continue to be strengthened and expanded, ensuring that innovation goes beyond competitions and becomes a consistent part of public service delivery,” he said.
He said this in his speech at the 2026 Ministry of Housing and Local Government Innovation Day (HIKPKT 2026) here today.
Nga said the ministry should expand, replicate and scale up proven innovations so they can deliver benefits on a larger scale.
Nga also pledged a reward equivalent to one month of a minister’s salary for KPKT personnel who win the Prime Minister’s Innovation Award, to further strengthen the ministry’s culture of innovation.
HIKPKT 2026, themed “Memperkasa Inovasi, Memacu Prestasi, Menyejahtera Rakyat”, showcased 54 innovation projects, including 43 Innovative and Creative Group (KIK) projects and 11 Minister’s Innovation Award (AIM) projects.
The Penang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) took the top two places in the AIM competition, with its BM Fighter team winning with the Checkpoint Tracker project and Sungai Bakap Strategic team finishing runner-up.
Penang JBPM director Mohamad Shoki Hamzah said Checkpoint Tracker was developed to help rescue teams locate people who get lost in forests, shortening search times and reducing operational costs and the number of personnel required.
“If someone gets lost in the forest, we can determine where they are. The team can then go directly to their location and bring them out of the area,” he said.
He said the system uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, an SOS emergency feature and a Progressive Web App (PWA), with hikers required to scan a quick response (QR) code before entering forested areas to enable their location and movements to be monitored.
Meanwhile, Puchong Fire and Rescue Station chief Muhammad Azizul Hakim Idris said his team’s Rescue Flex innovation combines three functions to address neck, arm and leg injuries, earning first place in the Department and Agency KIK category.
He said the innovation saves time and eases the burden on rescue personnel by reducing the need to carry multiple pieces of equipment during emergency operations, including accident response and search-and-rescue missions.
“The biggest challenge was developing a concrete idea capable of delivering a significant impact. With the support of the whole team, we were able to turn Rescue Flex into a low-cost, high-impact innovation,” he said. — Bernama
