COME May 21, the government will present the new five-year development plan, or the 11th Malaysia Plan, to Parliament.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will table the plan, which, by coincidence, is the last phase of Malaysia’s five-year development before the country achieves developed-nation status by 2020.
Last Wednesday, Najib and his ministers took part in a three-hour engagement and briefing on the plan (2016-2020), following their weekly cabinet meeting.
Malaysia has had development planning way before Merdeka. The First Malaya Plan was launched in 1956, while the First Malaysia Plan was rolled out in 1965, covering the whole of Malaysia.
In essence, the 11th Malaysia Plan is the nation’s 13th five-year development plan.
What were the initial goals of the plan? The objectives have been consistently aimed at promoting the welfare of all citizens and improving living conditions in rural areas, particularly among low-income groups.
How would the 11th Malaysia Plan be different from preceding plans?
According to the economic planning minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, the new plan would be based on the Malaysia National Development Strategy (MyNDS).
The development strategy, as outlined by Najib in his 2015 Budget speech, will stress more on the people’s economy, rather than the capital economy.
The people’s economy simply means an economy that is people-oriented and addresses issues, such as the cost of living, household income, education opportunities, employment and business, quality of life, skills training, entrepreneurship, as well as security and safety.
In short, it is an economy based on the daily lives of the people.
The new development strategy will be based on three key elements:
OPTIMAL use of natural resources;
FOCUS on projects with a high impact, but at a low cost; and,
RAPID and effective implementation.
“We will prioritise the inclusive and sustainable components of the New Economic Model over the high-income component, meaning more emphasis on enhancing inclusiveness and improving well-being, especially among the bottom 40 per cent,” he told this writer.
The strategy calls for continued and sustained economic growth, which should and will lead to more business and job opportunities.
This will translate into higher household income, better access to education and healthcare, as well as better
living conditions.
Long-term economic planning also calls for greater flexibility, given the fast-changing technology and changes in the demographic, urbanisation and economic landscape.
The government should also ensure that the plan is impactful, inclusive and well-executed.
No sense to Penang cable car dream
IS the proposed cable car linking George Town and Butterworth a viable answer by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to worsening Penang traffic woes?
The so-called “Penang Sky Cab” project, unveiled by the DAP-led government last week, has drawn rebuke from many long-suffering commuters seeking better alternatives to the Penang gridlock.
Will the project really improve connectivity, as claimed by the chief minister?
A short answer is: no.
What Penang folk need is an efficient public transportation system on the island and mainland, not a costly cable car system meant for a few tourists.
With two bridges, a ferry service and Lim’s dream of having an undersea tunnel linking the mainland and the island, does it make economic sense to have a cable car system?
In fact, the state government should work closely with the Federal Government to improve the badly neglected ferry service.
‘Let’s all be constructive’
DATUK Seri Abdul Wahid Omar (AWO), a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, again came under the needless spotlight following the gross misreporting of his comments on 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
The Malaysian Insider, in a piece written by its writer, Mohd Izwan, was again blamed for the “unforgivable misquote” of the minister, who was answering a question on the strategic investment company at a public forum late on Thursday.
“The Malaysian Insider somehow chose to twist some of the words in its reporting dated April 17. Let us all be constructive. May Allah SWT guide us all to do the right things. With best regards. AWO.”