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want to create: in that we want to stimulate more foreign investment,
boost domestic demand, and ensure the rewards of sustainable growth
are made available to all Malaysians. A deep and knowledgeable pool of
local talent, complemented with the very best global talent, will deliver
a strong and vibrant economy. He viewed that Malaysians must possess
the technical knowledge and the soft skills to excel, and at the same time,
equip people with the means to sustain their own wealth.
On the ground, reforms made under the ETP have also begun to bear fruit.
For example, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has been strong and
stable. In 2012, we met our targeted GDP growth of 5.6 per cent, despite
the increasingly volatile and challenging global landscape. We have kept
unemployment and inflation low, and investment has been increasing.
Malaysia was also ranked 12th on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business
Report last year, rising two notches from 14th in the previous year.
To attract top expatriate talent, the Government began offering expatriate
corporate leaders 10-year Residence Passes last year. Moving forward,
the Immigration Department launched the Expatriate Services Division in
April this year to provide a focal point for the immigration needs of top
global talent. At Invest Malaysia 2013 yesterday as well, the Honourable
Prime Minister also announced the introduction of Multiple Entry Visas
for up to five years to qualified business investors and fund managers.
These are but a few of the positive outcomes from the various initiatives
introduced by the Government. However, to ensure the economic
Launched in
April 2013
40 Humanising The Public Service : A Compilation of Speeches by the Chief Secretary to the Government
transformation is sustainable, it must be driven by private sector
investment, with public finance playing a catalysing role rather than
carrying the bulk of the load.
I take this opportunity to assure you that the Government will continue
to play its role to facilitate the nation’s economic growth. We realise
that there is heightened citizen’s expectation on the role of the public
service and the Government, especially on outcome-based performance
and delivery. The rakyat, including the construction community, expects
the Government delivery system to provide services which are fast,
accurate and with integrity.
One of the ways in which the Government is transforming its delivery
system is through the utilisation of the National Blue Ocean Strategy
(NBOS). NBOS fosters “breaking-the-silos” collaboration between
agencies, and implementing programmes that are low cost, high
impact and rapidly executed. Through NBOS, the public service has
successfully reduced overlapping initiatives between agencies.
Taking advantage of this new way of getting things done, I invite the
construction fraternity to volunteer ideas or be involved with some of
the initiatives undertaken by the various Ministries. I strongly encourage
the private sector to get involved actively, as the Government cannot
build the nation without the support and collaboration with the private
sector. I am confident that through initiatives under your own Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, or through formal public-
private partnerships or PPPs, all parties, be it the Government, the
private sector or the rakyat, will enjoy their benefits.
To illustrate this point, I would like to highlight one such successful
PPP project, which is the 1Malaysia Public Housing Project (Projek
Perumahan Penjawat Awam 1Malaysia - PPA1M), launched in
April 2013 in Putrajaya. PPA1M is the Government’s latest effort to
assist civil servants to buy quality affordable homes. Showcasing
the PPP model at its best, the project was developed involving
SP Setia Bhd, Putrajaya Corporation and Putrajaya Holdings Sdn.
Bhd. on state-owned land, which allowed the development costs
to be reduced by up to 10 per cent, and thereby reducing the price
of each unit of housing. In this instance, it was clearly a win-win
situation for all parties involved. I hope MBAM will continue to work
and collaborate with the Government towards implementing meaningful
and high impact projects for the benefit of the rakyat.
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