KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 1 — Malaysia’s next five-year socio-economic development blueprint under the 12th Malaysia Plan will feature the government’s priorities on various matters such as tackling poverty among Malaysians and continuing the empowerment of the majority group Bumiputera to reduce disparity with other ethnic groups, the prime minister said today.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today noted that the government had previously introduced the Shared Prosperity Vision (SPV) 2030 as a continuation of Vision 2020, with SPV 2030 aimed at enabling all Malaysians to have a decent standard of living by 2030.

SPV 2030 has three main objectives of development for all, addressing wealth and income disparities and building Malaysia as a united, prosperous and dignified nation.

Muhyiddin noted that SPV 2030 would be implemented via the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021-2025) and the 13th Malaysia Plan (2026-2030), with the 12th Malaysia Plan aimed at achieving a Malaysia that is “prosperous, inclusive and sustainable”.

He said the policies and strategies that are being framed under the 12th Malaysia Plan show the commitment of a government who cares about the public’s problems and to place Malaysia’s economy on a stronger and more competitive pathway.

Muhyiddin said the 12th Malaysia Plan is aimed at driving economic growth, while ensuring the country’s prosperity is distributed in a fairer and equitable manner, while not neglecting the preservation of the environment.

He said strategies and initiatives to achieve the SPV 2030 would tackle socio-economic challenges by focusing on efforts to regenerate the economy, strengthen security, well being and inclusivity and to enhance sustainability.

The prime minister said several catalysts have been identified to help drive Malaysia’s development for the next five years to come, including developing talents, speeding up the acceptance and use of the latest technology and innovation, strengthening continuity and transportation infrastructure and fine-tuning the public sector to make it more efficient.

Muhyiddin then went on to list the federal government’s priorities under the 12th Malaysia Plan as including seven items, including the tackling of poverty especially the eradication of hardcore poverty and reducing socio-economic inequality by implementing programmes that are more comprehensive and targeted.

The other priorities listed include emphasising on the Bumiputera Empowerment Agenda to reduce the disparity between the Bumiputera and other ethnicities, and speeding up development in Sabah and Sarawak and other states that are less developed by providing infrastructure and basic facilities.

The 12th Malaysia Plan will also feature the government’s priorities of preparing a conducive environment to develop micro, small and medium enterprises; speeding up the acceptance and use of the latest technology and digitalisation, and encouraging quality investment by focusing on high-technology activities.

The government will also prioritise speeding up a shift towards “green economy” to support the agenda of sustainable development and turning Malaysia into a low-carbon nation, he said.

In line with this, Muhyiddin said several industries with high potential had been identified as drivers and sources of new growth, such as the aerospace industry, a more advanced electrical and electronics, biomass and smart agriculture, adding that the government will implement strategies to increase productivity to expedite the shift to industries with high added value and high technology.

Muhyiddin said this in his speech at the Malaysia Prihatin event held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre in Putrajaya in conjunction with the one-year anniversary of the Perikatan Nasional government under his leadership as the prime minister. The speech was broadcast live over national television.

On December 23, 2020, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed had said the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) in the Prime Minister’s Department was finalising the 12th Malaysia Plan 2021-2025, after having held engagement sessions in the preceding 18 months to gain feedback from stakeholders in ensuring no one is left behind in the drafting of the five-year development plan for the country.

It was reported then that the federal government plans to table the 12th Malaysia Plan 2021-2025 during the first meeting of Parliament’s scheduled March 2021 session.

The Dewan Rakyat was initially scheduled to meet in March this year, with the original schedule as of January being: 20 days for the first meeting of 2021 from March 8 to April 8, 12 days for the second meeting (June 14 to July 1) and 36 days for the third meeting (October 4 to December 8).

However, the declaration of Emergency in Malaysia from January 11 until an expected end date of August 1 has resulted in the temporary suspension of Parliament sittings. This means that the original schedule would not apply under such a suspension.

While the Yang di-Pertuan Agong recently clarified that Parliament can still convene during the Emergency, Parliament staff and the Dewan Rakyat deputy Speaker Datuk Rashid Hasnon yesterday dismissed speculation that the Dewan Rakyat would be reconvening on March 8.

Parliament staff yesterday said the schedule for the next Parliament sitting has not been updated on its website, while Malay Mail’s checks today showed the Parliament’s website as stating that the Dewan Rakyat schedule is being updated and without any dates listed for Dewan Rakyat sittings.