KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) since 2009 has enabled the government to optimise spending in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The prime minister told the Dewan Rakyat that the government gave priority to its commitment to ensure the well-being of the people and projects were implemented based on three main principles, namely high-impact, low cost and swift implementation, to enable the people enjoy the benefits.
Citing the example of the Urban Transformation Centre, which is a one-stop centre for various services of the government, NGOs and private organisations, Najib said the provision of 20 UTC in the country through the NBOS initiative had saved the government RM2 billion.
He said it would cost RM150 million if the government erected a new building for a UTC compared to only RM35 million to renovate an existing building to provide the facility.
“That’s a classic example. Another example is that we do not have to build new training centres as we have allowed the police to train their personnel at military camps. That’s a form of savings,” he said when replying to a supplementary question from Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS-Rantau Panjang) on the effectiveness of the NBOS initiative to avoid overlapping of functions of government departments and agencies.
Replying to another supplementary question, from Datuk Juslie Ajirol (BN-Libaran), Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said he had asked for an increase in the Mobile Community Transformation Centres (Mobile CTCs) – the various government services provided in a bus or van or under tents – in Sabah to provide a more effective service to more rural people.
As for the original question from Juslie, Najib said that since 2013, the UTCs had attended to over 54 million cases.
He also said that over 80 government departments and agencies had implemented 115 NBOS initiatives in a collaborative manner since 2009.
“The collaboration among government departments and agencies has succeeded in dismantling the silo walls that had disrupted the smooth running of government programmes.
“In fact, through the creative collaboration of the NBOS initiative, the various government departments and agencies will be more aware of their respective functions in-depth and thereby avoid duplication of agency functions,” he said.
The prime minister also told the Dewan Rakyat that the NBOS was an important catalyst for achieving the long-term goal of the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) and realising the quest to make Malaysia among the top 20 countries of the world.
He said the NBOS portrayed creativity and innovation as the culture that must be instilled at all levels of society in pursuit of the aspiration.
“Indeed, the development of Malaysia in the future will be full of new challenges and opportunities that must be faced with a new perspective and strategy.
“This change in the way of doing things and thinking will actually ensure that the National Transformation will be realised,” he said. -- Bernama