KUANTAN, June 5 — The Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today officiated the opening of the Mahkota Gymnasium at the Indera Mahkota Fire and Rescue Station, a reflection of His Royal Highness’ concern for the fitness and well-being of rescue personnel.

The Pahang Ruler arrived at about 3pm and was welcomed by Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department director-general Nor Hisham Mohammad, Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Mohd Razam Taja Rahim and Universal Fitness & Leisure Sdn Bhd (UFL) managing director Datuk Radha Krishnan.

The Sultan later received a briefing from Mohd Razam on the development and operation of the gymnasium, which is equipped with exercise equipment donated by His Royal Highness.

Speaking to reporters, Al-Sultan Abdullah said the donation of the fitness equipment was intended to provide firefighters, as part of the nation's front-line workforce, with more comprehensive training facilities and to ensure they remain in peak physical condition while carrying out their duties.

“This facility enables them to train more thoroughly and intensively so that they remain fit and ready to fulfil their responsibilities in assisting those in need of help,” the Sultan said.

Al-Sultan Abdullah also expressed appreciation for the vital role played by firefighters in assisting the public, particularly during emergencies and various incidents.

“The fire and rescue force is undoubtedly a very important front-line service for the state of Pahang. Whenever the people face problems, they are among the agencies that arrive at the scene and provide assistance, whether involving fires, accidents, or even animal disturbances such as snakes.

“My hope is to see members of the security and emergency services remain healthy and physically fit,” His Royal Highness added.

At the same time, the Sultan of Pahang encouraged the public to continue practicing a healthy lifestyle by actively participating in sports and recreational activities to maintain good fitness and health.

During the event, Al-Sultan Abdullah also toured the gymnasium facilities and interacted with the firefighters, affectionately referred to as the brigade’s “muscle men” (abang sado).

The Mahkota Gymnasium, which operates daily from 9am to 10pm, is equipped with 15 pieces of fitness equipment, including treadmills, spinning bikes, leg press machines, a Smith machine, battle ropes, and dumbbells. — Bernama

PETALING JAYA, June 6 — Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan met with the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, last week to provide clarification on federal allocations and assistance channelled to the state.

He said the audience enabled him to give a comprehensive briefing covering federal allocations to Pahang, which have shown yearly increases, as well as focusing on priority projects proposed by the state government.

“From the briefing, His Royal Highness was able to see that there is indeed a commitment from the federal government to assist states, including Pahang, through the implementation of development projects, as well as allocations for the state, which have been increasing consistently year by year.

“There were several other proposals expressed by His Royal Highness, and we will review them further. If there is room to improve existing processes, we will work on it,” he told reporters after attending the Micro Credit Outreach Programme here today.

The programme was also attended by Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Johan Mahmood Merican, along with strategic partners including Bank Simpanan Nasional, Agrobank, Bank Rakyat, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, Companies Commission of Malaysia, Tekun Nasional, the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency and Majlis Amanah Rakyat.

Amir Hamzah said that during the meeting he explained that assistance to the people of Pahang is not only channelled through the state government, but also includes various direct federal initiatives such as the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA).

He added that the federal government’s commitment to Pahang’s development is clearly demonstrated through the implementation of strategic projects on the East Coast, including the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

He said the high-impact project will serve as a catalyst to attract new investments, thereby boosting infrastructure development and industrial areas.

“Once the ECRL is completed, we will also focus on developing industrial zones along the East Coast. Infrastructure has been built, and we want to ensure more new industries can be brought into the area.

“Besides that, we are also looking at how supporting infrastructure can be further improved so that investors can more easily utilise the facilities provided,” he said.

On May 8, the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, questioned federal allocations to the state while opening the First Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 15th Pahang State Legislative Assembly.

Following that, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim instructed Amir Hamzah to provide a comprehensive explanation to be presented to His Royal Highness. — Bernama