Govt serious in getting nation back on growth track — Sheda’s Sim
KUCHING: Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Sheda) Kuching branch regards the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) as a ‘good plan’, says its chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok.
He said the plan had taken into account the Covid-19 pandemic in striving to restore the lives and livelihoods of Malaysians, and putting the country back on track towards attaining the high-income nation status by 2025.
The nation’s latest development agenda was unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Parliament yesterday.
“The pandemic has slowed down our country’s growth till 2022, and growth is only expected to begin in 2023, which would take up more than half of the time for more developments to be implemented,” said Sim in a statement yesterday.
He said the 12MP development expenditure had been set at RM400 billion, versus the RM248.5 billion for 11MP – indicating that the government was serious in getting the country back on growth track post-pandemic.
Adding on, he said the 12MP would set growth in the nation’s economy and the people’s incomes, reduce income disparity between citizens and also between regions in the country, create new jobs including ‘gig economy’, as well as rebuild businesses and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) including the micro-enterprises.
Moreover, it would also restore and increase a competitive enterprise-driven economy, he added.
“It also plans for a better social security, and protects our environment towards a sustainable growth.”
Most significantly, Sim said the 12MP had dedicated a whole chapter on enhancing Sarawak and Sabah’s socio-economic development, including bridging the gap between these two states and Peninsular
Malaysia.
He was also pleased to note that Ismail Sabri had announced his commitment in resolving all issues pertaining to Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and closed the development gaps in infrastructure including completing the Pan Borneo Highway project, improving the utilities, and working towards better healthcare by turning Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) into a university hospital.
Sim said the Prime Minister had also announced the construction of 26 clinics across Sarawak and Sabah, as well as initiatives on digitalisation of the East Malaysia regions.
The Sheda man also noted one of 12MP’s targets – the construction of 500,000 affordable houses over the next five years, which he regarded as ‘achievable’.
However, he also said the number might not be able to meet the ever-increasing demand.
“Financing facilities for affordable houses are planned to be improved so that repayments would not be burdensome, which is good for all Malaysians wanting to own houses.
“A plan into the future is most important for our country to move forward and to grow.
“Although in this unprecedented pandemic, which has caused a hiccup in our country’s upward growth trend, with strong discipline in keeping with the good planning, we could restore, reset and renew our growth path towards a better future for all Malaysians,” said Sim.
The pandemic has slowed down our country’s growth till 2022, and growth is only expected to begin in 2023, which would take up more than half of the time for more developments to be implemented.
Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok