OCTOBER 19 ― Azmin Ali’s former political secretary, Hilman Idham, has thrown some wild, uncontrolled accusations at the Selangor state government, parroting his former bosses claim that Selangor’s economic performance has plummeted since he resigned as the mentri besar.
This assertion which is rooted not in facts but nostalgia, will leave many economists with sleepless nights at the sheer lack of quality and immense naivety helming the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
The extent of Hilman’s lack of comprehension about basic economic fundamentals is demonstrated by his attempt to merely pluck numbers out of thin air and asking the current Mentri Besar, Amirudin Shari, to look himself in the mirror.
The Gombak Setia Assemblyperson must first acknowledge one undisputed fact; Selangor is not only the mirror but the leader of Malaysia’s success.
This is due to the fact that for every RM100 in the Malaysian economy, RM24.8 is contributed from economic activity in Selangor, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM).
When Selangor’s economy does well, Malaysia does well. In turn, when the economy in Selangor experiences a slowdown, Malaysia’s economy will suffer too.
This is what we saw during the Covid-19 lockdowns for nearly two years due to haphazard decision-making, of which Hilman and his boss must take some responsibility for too.
Secondly, Hilman exclaimed that the people of Selangor are impressed with big numbers, and that economic performance should not be solely based on GDP. This is the only part of his statement which is true, so let’s look at numbers beyond Selangor’s GDP which stands at 24.8 per cent of the national economic pie.
The global economic downturn caused by Covid-19 hit the brakes on Malaysia’s economy in 2020 by -5.65 per cent. While Selangor too experienced a decline, it was still below the national average at -5.2 per cent, despite sailing in uncharted waters. A large part of this was contributed by the state government’s emphasis on supporting the local services sector which all Selangorians relied on during the lockdown, and supplementing these efforts with vital initiatives to increase the cashflow of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) like Selangor Advance, E-Bazar Raya, Platform Selangor (PLATS) and other measures.
When economic activity resumed in stages in 2021, Malaysia’s economy expanded by 3.13 per cent. However, Selangor outperformed the national economy by posting a growth of 5.0 per cent in the same year.
Thirdly, on comparing the performance of Selangor’s economy under the two administrations, Azmin Ali and Amirudin Shari.
When Azmin Ali took over the reigns as Selangor mentri besar in 2014, the state grew by 6.7 per cent in large part due to the efforts of his predecessor. The Selangor administration under Azmin posted a smaller growth rate every year until 2017, 5.7 per cent in 2015 and 4.8 per cent in 2016, and only surpassed the 2014 figures in 2017.
Under Amirudin Shari’s administration, Selangor has performed consistently, growing at an annual rate of 6.8 per cent in 2018 and 2019 before the Covid-19-induced economic decline.
If Hilman dives deeper into his shallow claims, he will realise that he is in fact shooting himself in the foot.
Fourtly, he also repeated a point he raised about the First Selangor Plan which was tabled and passed unanimously in the Selangor State Assembly on 2nd August 2022.
If Hilman had attended the legislative session in full, he would have been able to understand better Selangor’s growth targets under the first ever economic plan by any state in Malaysia.
While the 30 per cent contribution by Selangor to the national GDP in time for 2025 is lofty, it isn’t without basis. The establishment of new business districts outside the Klang Valley, namely the Integrated Development Region in South Selangor (IDRISS) Sabak Bernam Development Area (SABDA), and the Selangor Maritime Gateway, is slated to increase Selangor’s economic performance by creating new jobs while tackling food security, education, housing, climate change, and sustainability.
Without an effort like the Selangor Plan, the state posts an annual increase of between 0.3 per cent to 0.5 per cent. That means Selangor will be on track to contribute between 25.8 per cent to 26.8 per cent without a concerted economic plan.
However, this administration realises that we cannot sit and watch as the Federal government finds its footing and has embarked on an ambitious effort which can increase the state’s contribution to national GDP by between 0.7 per cent to 1.0 per cent annually.
Lastly, Hilman asserted that the social safety net framework under Iltizam Selangor Penyayang (ISP) is merely a rebranding of Inisiatif Peduli Rakyat (IPR), which his boss Azmin Ali retitled from the previous Merakyatkan Ekonomi Selangor (MES).
Brands are certainly important to explain the heart and soul of any social safety net framework. While we acknowledge the successes of IPR, we must recognise that it was largely populist in nature and not rooted in sustainability.
Iltizam Selangor Penyayang is this administration’s realisation on problems the people of Selangor have faced especially after Covid-19, and demonstrates this administration’s commitment to solving these problems. These include public health, education, spurring micro and small industries, delivering on promises for affordable housing, and capitalising on the natural entrepreneurial spirit many Selangorians possess.
It is unfortunate that Hilman chose to swipe below the belt instead of finding ways to develop Selangor further.
This mob-like mentality goes to show how a group of people who were once well respected in society, now live in denial after being the architects of treachery, and who will have their names forever etched in national shame, thrown into the dustbin of history not too long from now.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
