KUCHING: Sarawak’s ability to continue to grow its economy due to its large land area and strategic location in Southeast Asia were some of the views heard at an engagement session with the state government held to gather feedback for the preparation of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
In a statement today, the Economic Affairs Ministry (MEA) said deputy minister Dr Radzi Jidin (pix) co–chaired the session with Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Integrity & Ombudsman) Datuk Talib Zulpilip.
Besides outlining the nation’s development agenda, it also aimed to get views and proposals with regards to Sarawak’s development agenda for the preparation of the 12MP.
Sarawak is the fifth state in the series of nationwide engagement sessions after Melaka, Johor, Perak and Sabah.
The 12MP’s programmes, policies and initiatives will focus on three dimensions — economic empowerment, environmental sustainability and social re–engineering.
In the effort to ensure the 12MP is inclusive for all and takes into consideration the well–being of the people, states’ development plans will be aligned with national development plans to ensure uniformity and consistency in policy–making and the planning process, the statement said.
It also noted Sarawak’s good connectivity with major cities in the world, with short travel times to Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei, as well as the state’s potential to be a competitive investment destination on account of its strategic location in the middle of the Asia–Pacific region.
Also present at the engagement session were state executive councillors, deputy state secretary (performance and service delivery transformation) Datuk Dr Sabariah Putit, MEA deputy secretary–general (policy) Datuk Dr Noor Zari Hamat, and heads of state government agencies and departments as well as federal departments in Sarawak. — Bernama
