The initiatives are guided by 6 pillars aligned to the new govt’s goals to build a new Malaysia founded on trust, transparency and accountability

By P PREM KUMAR & ALIFAH ZAINUDDIN / Pic By TMR File

THE midterm review of the 11th Malaysia Plan 2016-2020 outlines the realignment of socio-economic policies and strategies for the next three years, taking into account priorities of the Pakatan Harapan government following the stunning May 9 general election.

The new initiatives are guided by six pillars which focus on reforming governance and improving public service delivery, enhancing inclusive development and wellbeing, pursuing balanced regional development, empowering human capital, ensuring environmental sustainability and strengthening economic growth.

The pillars are aligned to the new government’s aspirations to build a new Malaysia founded on trust, transparency and accountability. With this, the nation will be on the right track towards becoming a developed and inclusive nation.

Pillar 1: Reforming governance towards greater transparency and enhancing efficiency of public service
One of the main focus areas of the midterm review is to improve governance as well as uphold accountability and transparency in the government administration.

Bold and effective measures will be implemented to drive the reform agenda towards strengthening check and balance mechanism at all levels to regain trust and confidence of the rakyat.

In this regard, initiatives pertaining to four priority areas, namely improving governance at all levels, elevating integrity and accountability, enforcing prudent public finance management and enhancing public service delivery will be undertaken.

Governance at all levels will be improved by strictly enforcing the doctrine of separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judiciary as stipulated in the Federal Constitution.

Efforts will also be undertaken to enhance the anti-corruption agenda, improve transparency, as well as inculcate noble values and ethical work practices.

Public finance will be further strengthened by enforcing prudent management. This priority area will be implemented by improving the budgeting system, enhancing procurement management, as well as strengthening performance management, monitoring and evaluation framework.

Additionally, efforts towards transforming the public service to become more citizen-centric will be intensified.

The government will create a clean, efficient and trustworthy governance system, which is imbued with integrity, openness and highest capability to deliver the best public service for the nation.

Pillar 2: Enhancing inclusive development and wellbeing
The implementation of inclusive development will be enhanced to bring greater prosperity and wellbeing to all Malaysians.

Raising the income and purchasing power of the bottom 40% (B40) households is imperative to improve quality of life and resilience, as well as reduce overall income inequalities.

In this regard, income generating programmes as well as the provision of basic needs will continue to New Malaysia, new direction and fulfilling promises of reforms The initiatives are guided by 6 pillars aligned to the new govt’s goals to build a new Malaysia founded on trust, transparency and accountability be given to the poor and low-income households.

Efforts also will be intensified to enhance the capacity and capability of the B40 households for better employability and productivity, as well as to promote entrepreneurship.

The strategy to build a resilient and sustainable Bumiputera Economic Community will be pursued to uplift its economic presence. Key measures include enhancing the employability of the Bumiputera in high-paying jobs, raising Bumiputera effective control and sustainable corporate ownership, as well as developing resilient small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are capable to penetrate the global market.

Meanwhile, special programmes will be implemented for the Orang Asli, Anak Negeri Sabah and Bumiputera Sarawak in the rural and remote areas, as well as selected groups of the Indian and Chinese communities to develop their economic potential and eradicate poverty.

The wellbeing of the community will be improved by addressing the needs of specific target groups, namely children, youth, women, the elderly, persons with disabilities and family.

Efforts will also be channelled to increase the purchasing power of the rakyat, provide quality and affordable housing, as well as enhance the healthcare delivery system.

Enforcement to curb supply and price manipulations will be intensified, while more avenues offering goods and services at affordable prices will be provided to address the rising cost of living.

Pillar 3: Pursuing balanced regional development
Efforts will be intensified to address development imbalances among six regions, namely Northern, Eastern, Central, Southern, Sabah and Sarawak, to promote equitable growth and increase the wellbeing of the rakyat.

Measures include intensified efforts to modernise and diversify the economic base for robust and dynamic economic growth. Major cities will be leveraged as catalysts to attract investment and trade, as well as improve connectivity with rural and suburban areas.

Meanwhile, the Asean subregional cooperation will be further enhanced to accelerate and facilitate economic development in special economic zones, as well as improve connectivity to promote tourism and trade activities.

Rural infrastructure will be enhanced to spur socio-economic activities in bridging the urban-rural gap. Urban-rural linkages will also be improved to foster greater economic integration and widen services to rural areas.

Continuous efforts to expand economic activities in Sabah and Sarawak will be carried out by leveraging the rich resources and niche areas through the implementation of various strategies.

Efforts will be continued to improve connectivity and access to basic infrastructure, amenities and services. Focus will also be given on increasing employment opportunities to uplift the standard of living, while the development of customary land in Sabah and Sarawak will be enhanced to generate income for the B40 households and eradicate poverty.

Pillar 4: Empowering human capital
Human capital development initiatives will provide opportunities for quality employment, as well as ensure access to quality education and training towards building a more inclusive, equitable and prosperous nation.

These will be implemented through four priority areas, namely reforming the labour market, improving labour efficiency and productivity, enhancing access to quality education and training, as well as fostering stronger industry-academia linkages.

The government will intensify efforts in addressing issues of inadequate creation of skilled jobs, low wage growth, high youth unemployment rate and graduate underemployment, as well as skills mismatch.

Several initiatives will also be undertaken to reduce dependency on foreign workers by promoting greater automation and strictly regulate the number of foreign workers by introducing multi-tiered levies.

Labour efficiency and productivity will be improved by strengthening workers’ rights to enhance work conditions, as well as increasing female participation in the labour force to expand the talent pool.

Pillar 5: Enhancing environmental sustainability through green growth
Green growth initiatives will be enhanced to ensure sustainability of natural resources and increase resilience against climate change and disasters, while achieving higher economic growth.

Enhanced government structure will facilitate the shift towards green growth, and enable better resource management.

Measures will be taken to strengthen policy, legislation and institutional frameworks, improve capacity and capability in enforcement and monitoring, as well as raise awareness and foster shared responsibility among stakeholders.

The government will also continue to ensure better conservation and management of natural resources.

In this regard, key strategies will be implemented by conserving terrestrial and inland water areas, as well as coastal and marine areas. Additionally, the livelihood and capacity of the indigenous and local communities will be enhanced to support the conservation of natural resources.

Efforts to mitigate climate change will be equally intensified through reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from key GHG emitting sectors, mainly energy, transport and waste.

Pillar 6: Strengthening economic growth
Efforts will be undertaken to strengthen economic growth by enhancing productivity and increasing competitiveness of industries.

Measures will be intensified to enhance sectoral development and develop high value-added activities with knowledge-intensive content, supported by skilled workforce in the services, manufacturing, agriculture and construction sectors.

The strategies to strengthen sectoral growth and implement structural reforms include enhancing sectoral growth, increasing export capacity and improving market efficiency, as well as facilitating ease of doing business.

SMEs will be encouraged to move up the value chain towards producing higher value-added goods and services.

Priority will also be given to accelerate innovation and technology adoption among local firms, especially SMEs, to boost productivity and compete globally.

Harnessing the potential of the fourth Industrial Revolution, which provides new business and wealth creation opportunities, will allow manufacturers to remain competitive in the value chain.

Quality infrastructure and efficient utilities will be enhanced to boost economic development and ensure sustainability in meeting present and future demands.

Greater emphasis will be given to further integrate different transport modes to provide seamless connectivity for people and goods.

Logistics and trade facilitation will be strengthened to improve efficiency and effectiveness of services along the value chain to enhance competitiveness.

Digital infrastructure will also be improved through expansion of fibre optic networks with commercial development of communication infrastructure, bringing connectivity to households. In the water and sewage sector, investment in new networks and treatment plant capacity will be continued.