‘Shared prosperity’ should be guiding light in 12MP, says chamber president
BINTULU: Whilst shared prosperity is to be promoted, it must safeguard that the ‘captain of the ship’ should remain in control, said Yek Siew Liong.
“Otherwise the success, strategy and direction of the present would be impeded. A case in point is the logistics service provider,” said the president of Bintulu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He was commenting on the fiveyear roadmap (2021-2025) for the country under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Parliament yesterday.
Yek said in consultation and engagement with all the stakeholders, the government’s objective of achieving ‘A Prosperous, Inclusive, Sustainable Malaysia’ should be appreciated by the public and be implemented by the people in authority.
He noted that the foundation of a prosperous nation is often an issue of vision, motivation and hard work.
“The inclusiveness of the 12MP can be seen in the emphasis given to enhance the social economic development in Sabah and Sarawak by planning to provide better infrastructure leading to more development in East Malaysia,” he said.
Taking Sarawak as an example, he said the state needed 636 new sites for digital infrastructure development; 643 new numbers of points of presence for broadband connectivity in rural schools; construction and upgrading of 700km rural paved roads; increase in monthly household income
to RM5,430 by 2025; and also the mapping of 397,000 hectares of Native Customary Rights land.
Yek said such provision of infrastructure and connectivity would facilitate economic activities and enable better delivery of social services especially in the rural areas; thus, improving the general well-being of the people.
“It is heartening to note that concerted effort would also be undertaken in making Sarawak one of the preferred investment destinations in Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-MalaysiaPhilippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga),” he said.
According to him, the transport connectivity between Sarawak and Kalimantan would be improved and the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facilities in Tebedu, Serikin and Telok Melano would be upgraded to cater for the increasing cross-border commercial activities.
“I am excited about this new phase in Malaysia’s development and I look forward to its effective implementation,” said Yek.