The new name for the Federal Territories Ministry is expected to be made known early next year, said its Minister Khalid Abdul Samad.

He said the proposed name change for the ministry was not his priority, but still needed to be carried out to reflect its additional roles at the national level.

“It is not on my priority list as yet, it will be delayed for three to four months due to the ministry’s rationalisation exercise.

"But once it is finalised, the name will no longer be changed,” he told reporters after attending the 100th-year anniversary of Remembrance Day in Labuan today.

The ministry will be renamed to reflect its wider role, which is not only limited to the development of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.

Khalid noted that the name change would be in line with the rationalisation of the ministry, which is now also responsible for the Town and Country Planning Department (PlanMalaysia) and the National Landscape Department.

“We will bring the changes slowly, so that the people better understand our role that is not just confined to the federal territories, but also covers town and country planning, as well as landscape, nationwide,” he said.

Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

- Bernama