KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today unveiled the five-year roadmap from 2021 to 2025 for the country under the 12th Malaysia Plan, with the aim of achieving “Keluarga Malaysia — Makmur, Inklusif, Mampan” or prosperity, inclusivity and sustainability for the “Malaysia Family”.

The 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) will have nine areas of focus covering aspects such as the economy, poverty and income gaps.

Here is a quick roundup of some of the highlights in terms of policies, actions and plans from the nine focus areas under the 12th Malaysia Plan:

1. Government to ensure more high-skilled jobs created by attracting high-technology new investments, encouraging industries to shift to automation and mechanisation in production, limiting entry of low-skilled foreign workers, enhancing industries-academia collaboration. In the long term, foreigners in the Malaysian workforce to be limited to a maximum 15 per cent.

2. Government to build 500,000 affordable homes for income earners in the bottom 40 per cent (B40), middle 40 per cent (M40) groups; RM2.25 billion allocation during 12MP period to build and repair 85,500 housing units for the poor under Program Bantuan Rumah.

3. Eradicate hardcore poverty by 2025. New specific units at federal and district levels will be set up with officers given specific duties to handle poverty at district-level. Targeted financial aid such as cash handouts and social protection to continue. Programmes costing RM1.5 billion to be enhanced to improve B40 marketability, wellbeing and purchasing power. 

4. PM calls for companies, individuals to help Malaysians out of poverty through aid giving such as zakat, wakaf.

5. Fixing poverty also means closing educational and nutritional gaps. B40 students to get priority for enrolment in prestigious schools and scholarships. Government to provide nutritious food to address increasing malnutrition among B40 children. Government to ensure M40 children have access to quality education at reasonable costs, and encourage M40 to buy health, work insurance at affordable rates while training for M40 would be enhanced.

6. New programmes, funding to improve Bumiputera businesses’ sustainability to hit 15 per cent contribution to GDP by Bumiputera micro, small, medium enterprises in 2025

7. Strengthen Bumiputera home ownership quota policies and implementation through closer cooperation with federal government, state government, local councils

8. At least 30 per cent Bumiputera corporate equity not achieved yet. To introduce safety net for sustainable Bumiputera equity ownership, where Bumiputera companies or Bumiputera shares only offered and sold to other Bumiputera consortiums, companies or individuals. Holdings and disposals of ownership in Bumiputera companies to be regulated by related ministries and agencies.

9. Reassigning of officers at all government agencies, ministries for Bumiputera prosperity division with clearer mandate, function to be re-established to coordinate efforts for Bumiputera agenda implementation.

10. Education for Orang Asli to be improved, enhanced their opportunities of receiving education until Secondary Five. Low-income Chinese community in new villages to have improved access to special business loan scheme, improved infrastructure, social amenities to continue. Government to continue supporting skills enhancement, targeted aid, entrepreneurship opportunities for Indian community, especially those with low-income.

11. Government plans to increase senior citizen centres from 140 nationwide currently to cover all parliamentary constituencies. should have more elderly-friendly cities in future, as Malaysia is expected to be an ageing nation by 2030.

12. Continued empowerment of disabled community with programmes such as job coaching, entrepreneurship programmes, special career fairs, independent living centre services

13. With women’s workforce participation rate targeted to hit 59 per cent in 2025, improved services for childcare and elderly care at reasonable costs to encourage more women to return to work or remain working. To further develop women entrepreneurship, encourage online businesses. Civil and Shariah laws to be enhanced to deal with women-related issues. Introduction of gender empowerment framework.

14. PM gives commitment for Malaysia to be neutral carbon country as early as 2050, says no new coal power plants will be built. Several gas power plants in Peninsular Malaysia to replace coal power plants. Renewable energy generation (solar, biomass, biogas) targeted to increase to 31 per cent of all installed capacity in 2025. 

15. Government will ensure Undi18 constitutional amendment — which enables Malaysians aged 18 to vote — will be implemented soonest.

16. Government targets digitalisation of government services or end to end online services to be improved to 80 per cent in 2025. Government departments, agencies to be restructured to reduce bureaucracy. Government to improve selection and intake of managing officers and professionals to get the best talent. Study proposal to introduce law for clearer separation of powers and responsibilities between members of administration and civil servants.