SEPANG: Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Ismail Bakar (pix) said it is imperative for the government to make bold reforms that might be unpopular among the rakyat, to remain competitive internationally and to achieve its vision of becoming a developed and inclusive nation.
He said it was with this in mind that Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has presented the revised socioeconomic targets for 2018 to 2020, as outlined in the mid-term review (MTR) of the Eleventh Malaysia Plan.
“The MTR has taken into consideration the aspirations of the new government, current economic challenges and global trends. Efforts will focus on stimulating economic growth while ensuring greater benefits for all segments of society.
“It is a process in which not only the market and surrounding businesses have to adapt to, but also entails the government’s response to it. It shakes the market, creates instability and a whole lot of other predicaments.
“Like recently, the government was urged to take action against e-hailing business by upset taxi drivers. This shows that we are still reactive in nature and we need to seize the opportunities of digitalisation,“ he said when launching the Public Sector Chief Information Officer (CIO) Convex 2018, here, today.
Citing the corporate world as an example, Ismail noted several big-name companies like Nokia, Kodak, Toys R Us and Motorola that failed to embrace innovation.
“They are testimonials of failure to assimilate to rapid disruptive change and inability to explore innovation opportunities.
“Instead, digital-platform companies like Uber, Airbnb, eBay, Alibaba, Netflix and Facebook that saw the opportunity have now become major businesses,“ he said.
