KUALA LANGAT: Selangor has received 1.79 million ringgit in funding this year to help boost the development of its arts and cultural heritage industry.
National Department for Culture and Arts director-general Mohd Amran Mohd Haris stated that from this amount, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has disbursed 1.7 million ringgit to 23 arts associations and companies in Selangor through the Cultural Sector Support Grant.
He added that a further 95,000 ringgit was allocated to 18 cultural arts associations in the state under the department’s Financial Arts Incentive Assistance.
“For the record, in 2024, a total of 3.5 million ringgit was channeled to 63 applications from cultural arts associations and companies to implement programmes in Selangor,“ he said in his speech at the Selangor@Batu Laut Festival 2025 launch.
He said the ministry places great emphasis on invigorating cultural arts programmes across the country, making support from agencies and the community crucial to establishing this sector as a major contributor to the national economy.
Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said that Selangor remains a focal point for cultural and artistic diversity, which represents one of the state’s strengths in the tourism sector.
He mentioned that this diversity, contributed by large-scale migration trends over hundreds of years, has indirectly brought along the customs and culture of each ethnic group or community, thus creating a unique multicultural landscape.
“For example, in 2018, the population rose to 6.8 million, and today Selangor has recorded over 7.4 million people. Their presence isn’t solely about seeking employment or driving the economy,“ he said.
“While being ready to embrace other cultures suitable for practice within the country or this state, we uphold Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, which provides opportunities for all to express themselves as long as it does not threaten the nation’s stability, peace, and prosperity,“ he added. – Bernama
