SHAH ALAM, June 10 — The Selangor govt today launched the Selangor Persons with Disabilities Policy and Action Plan 2026-2030 to strengthen inclusion and support the holistic development of the state’s approximately 150,000 registered persons with disabilities (PWDs).

State Women Development and Social Welfare Committee chairman Anfaal Saari said the comprehensive policy marked a significant shift from a passive welfare-based approach towards one centred on rights, active participation and empowerment.

“This proactive step is intended to ensure that the PWD community is recognised as an equal strategic partner in the state’s development.

“The policy was formulated based on field studies involving PWDs, caregivers, non-governmental organisations, government agencies and academics,” she told reporters after launching the policy at Universiti Teknologi MARA’s Dewan Tuanku Canselor here.

Anfaal said the policy was designed to bridge the gap between policymaking and implementation through a structured framework guided by five key pillars: quality of life and social equity, education and lifelong learning, productivity and economic development, accessibility and universal design (UD), as well as governance and advocacy.

She said the policy, which is guided by the principles of maqasid syariah, also seeks to improve access to healthcare services, early intervention programmes, mental health support for PWDs and caregivers, economic participation, and inclusive worship facilities.

On accessibility, Anfaal acknowledged that making older developments fully PWD-friendly could be challenging, but said improvements could begin with new developments.

She said the state govt would also determine mandatory UD requirements to be incorporated into development planning and complied with by developers.

“The action plan must serve as a genuine instrument of change and not merely remain a document on paper,” she said.

Anfaal said the state govt was committed to ensuring transparent implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the policy, with government agencies and stakeholders expected to play accountable roles.

As a follow-up measure, she said the Selangor Disability Action Council (MTOS) had begun advocacy and awareness workshops with local authority planners and engineers to improve compliance with existing guidelines.

Earlier, Anfaal, accompanied by MTOS chairman and Batu Tiga assemblyman Danial Al-Rashid Haron, presented RM90,000 in grants to three recipients under the Selangor Inclusive Innovation Programme (SIIP).

She also presented awards to PWD students who excelled in the 2025 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, 2025 bachelor’s degree graduates and participants of the recent Global IT Challenge (GITC) in South Korea. — Bernama