KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 — In line with the government’s commitment to strengthening financial literacy, the inaugural Putrajaya LIFT (Literacy in Financial Technology) Festival will be held from December 28 until 29 in the country’s administrative capital.
Directed by renowned George Town Festival director Joe Sidek, the two-day event hosted by the Finance Ministry in collaboration with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) will feature art performances, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, and even a themed marketplace for visitors.
Finance Ministry corporate communications chief Zakiah Hanum Mohamed Kassim said the inaugural festival is a continuation of the federal government’s commitment to promote financial literacy among the public, as noted in Budget 2020 on digital transformation.
Among the objectives of the festival is to educate the public on the subject of financial technology and various innovations available, in an entertaining manner.
“This festival is unique and an avenue for people to be informed of the latest tool available to make sound and effective financial decision,” she said during the event briefing at BNM’s Sasana Kijang here.
She also cited Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s speech in March this year on Malaysia’s financial literacy rate was among the lowest compared to developed countries according to a study by S&P Global Literacy Financial in 2014 — at 36 per cent compared to 59 per cent in developed countries.
“When the literacy level is low, people are more vulnerable to facing shocks when faced with critical illnesses.
“This is something we want to do to help educate the public, that there are all these services out there to enable them to manage their finances more effectively,” she said.
The Putrajaya LIFT Festival events will be held at three locations within Precinct 2, Putrajaya — Menara Perkeso, Bangunan Suasana PjH, and the Finance Ministry Complex — inside a “village-like” site that includes both outdoor and indoor areas.
Admission is free.
Two days of fun-filled festivities of food and art
Taking on the fun and interactive concept of the highly successful GTF, the Putrajaya LIFT Festival has been segmented into three major components titled — The Showcase, The Fringe and The Market, each showcasing a different segment for festival-goers to enjoy.
The Showcase — LIFT Festival’s main draw — is home to BNM’s Digital-Fintech Pavilion that features seminars, workshops, talks and exhibitions from various financial institutions and fintech companies.
It is here that festival-goers will have the opportunity to engage in a range of financial services and consultation including immersing themselves in one of the festival’s highlight — the Future Pods’ — a futuristic showcase on a variety of subjects.
The Fringe — the festival’s entertainment section — will feature street acts and live music concerts by various local artists and international performers from 10 foreign countries presenting over 10 different acts.
Among the highlights included virtual-reality presentation, “Frogman” by UK company Curious Directive, and hybrid stage show, “Code: Cyrus” by Taiwanese company Divertimento Media.
Last but not least, The Market is pretty self-explanatory with an extensive marketplace featuring five theme categories offering various products which festival goers can browse from.
The five categories are, Pasar Glam (lifestyle, fashion), Pasar Seni (traditional, contemporary crafts), Pasar Tradisi (traditional medicinal, herbal products), Pasar Botani (collectible plants), and Medan Makan (food trucks and stalls).
For further information on the event, one can visit www.putrajayalift.com.
