PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today announced that Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar will head the Special Economic Committee.
He said the committee would be tasked with identifying immediate and medium-term measures to further strengthen the economy amidst volatile global situation.
"The Special Economic Committee will meet every week or as frequent as possible. Its first meeting is scheduled early next week," Najib told reporters after chairing the cabinet meeting.
The committee , he added, would also invite individuals from various organisations to share their views on how to strengthen the economy.
The prime minister also said the committee, which is made up of selected corporate leaders, would be a temporary outfit that would be disbanded once the world economy settles.
The other nine members of the committee are Khazanah Nasional Bhd deputy chairman Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, its managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, the Chief Advisor to the China Banking Regulatory Commission Tan Sri Andrew Sheng Len Tao, Symphony Life Bhd executive chairman Tan Sri Mohamed Azman Yahya, CIMB Group chairman Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, RAM Holdings Bhd Group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr K. Govindan, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali, Association of Banks in Malaysia chairman and Maybank Group chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Farid Alias and Federal of Malaysian Manufacturers president Datuk Seri Saw Choo Boon.
Even with the formation of the Special Economic Committee, Najib said, the existing Economic Council, chaired by himself, was still operational and continued to focus on the economy as a whole.
Yesterday, Najib announced the setting up of a special economic committee to ensure the country's growth momentum amid the volatile economic condition globally.
The objective of the committee was also to ensure the rakyat's prosperity and quality of life are intact regardless of all situations, he said.