Govt wants fair opportunities for all
KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya wants to allow all Malaysians to have a fair chance at improving their lives, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said yesterday.
Lim said the push for economic growth in Malaysia should not be done at all costs, noting that the focus should also be on providing opportunities for Malaysians.
“At the end of the day, we must ask ourselves this question: how do we create as many opportunities — in as fair a way as possible — for every single Malaysian to better their lives?” he asked in his luncheon address at the Khazanah Megatrends Forum 2018.
While pointing out that fairness does not necessarily mean “absolute equality”, Lim also said no one should be denied the opportunity to pursue a fulfilling life for themselves and their families.
“The role of the government is to ensure that no one is penalised by their life circumstances.
“We are wholly committed to ensure that whatever opportunities and access greater economic growth and fiscal sustainability brings to Malaysia, those opportunities and access must be available to all Malaysians,” he said.
Lim added that the government was therefore committed to providing “basic protection” for all citizens through affordable public services.
“These social welfare policies must be designed to empower Malaysians, especially the underprivileged B40 group, such that these policies become tools which will allow individuals to thrive and be rewarded,” he said, referring to the bottom 40 per cent households.
He noted that the government had also abolished the Goods and Services Tax which was seen as a regressive tax system that burdened the lower-income group more.
Earlier in the same speech, Lim spoke about the need for the government to be more selective and “smarter” in its spending, and to rein in excesses under the previous government.
But he had also said Putrajaya would be willing to spend on key priority areas that lead to longterm sustainable growth that would benefit Malaysians.
He also said the government was well aware that economic growth could be hurt if fiscal consolidation — or the trimming of debt — happens “too much and too fast”.
He had also added that Putrajaya will provide support to the private sector which will have to lead the country’s economic growth.