PM: Innovation and Creativity is vital to achieve TN50

PUTRAJAYA: Innovation and creativity will become the two most important aspects for the country to achieve its National Transformation 50 (TN50) vision.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the two aspects would become a solid foundation to achieve TN50's medium term goal which is to increase the economy from RM1.3 trillion to RM2 trillion in eight years.
"We will use the Innovation and Creativity Index as a guideline to see how far we can transform the nation to be among the top 20 in the world," he said at the 2016 Prime Minister's and Public Sector Innovation Awards held at the Marriot Hotel here.
Also present at the event was Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun.
Najib also said the public sector must innovate and be productive to increase the level of services.
However, the 2016 Global Innovation Index reported that Malaysia has dropped to 35th position compared to 32nd place last year.
Meanwhile, the government of Malacca was awarded the prestigious 2016 Prime Minister's Innovation Award for their Malacca World Heritage City project.
Najib presented the award to Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron.
The award came with a cash prize of RM1 million, a trophy and a certificate.
The Malacca World Heritage City is an introduction of a new dimension of city management through tourism branding where the uniqueness of the city's heritage is preserved in line with its status as a Unesco World Heritage City.