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September 2018

TRANSFORMATION * INNOVATION * PARTNERSHIP

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Copyright © September 2018 by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, except with the prior written permission of the Director-General of Malaysia Productivity Corporation or in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the Director-General, Malaysia Productivity Corporation.

Published by

Malaysia Productivity Corporation, P.O. Box 64, Jalan Sultan, 46200 PETALING JAYA MALAYSIA

Website : www.mpc.gov.my Email : marketing@mpc.gov.my Tel : 603 – 7955 7266 / 7955 7050 Fax : 603 – 7957 8068 / 7955 1824

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Preface

1. Revisiting NEM

2. Understanding NEM

3. Goals of NEM and NTP

4. The NEM - NTP Story

5. The NEM - NTP Story II

6. The NEM - NTP Story III

7. The NTP Story

8. The NTP Story II

9. Catalysing the Economy

10. Nurturing Future Talent and Inclusiveness

11. Sustaining Socio-Economic efforts

12. Sustaining Growth and Resilience

13. NKRA on the Raising Cost of Living

14. Creating Sustainable Rural Communities

15. Making Public Transport a Choice

16. Alleviating Poverty for Inclusiveness

17. 1AZAM for Sustainable Livelihood of B40

18. Raising Quality through Performance-driven Culture

19. Building National Talent Capacity

20. Public Service Delivery as Exemplars of Excellence

21. Effective Public Service Delivery through Continuous Innovation

22. Aiming for World-class KL/ Klang Valley

23. Enhancing City Liveability and Sustainability

24. KL in the ASEAN Region

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Preface

I am delighted to share here the 2017 Collection of e-Sustainable Productivity Talk bulletins. Sustainability has been given much importance globally. We

certainly need to translate the three pillars of sustainability: economic, environment and social into actions. The bulletins of 2017 have narrated on

how Malaysia has through the New Economic Model (NEM) and National Transformation Programmes (NTP) addressed the EES especially on developing a progressive level of social well-being and harmony for Malaysians to ensure sustainable growth and resilience for the country. As global climate changes

drastically, much more work would be needed to achieve sustainability in the true sense. Remember “We are all in this together”. Hence, do appreciate and give gratitude for what the planet Earth is providing us and consume with due

responsibility!

Shaik

Dr. Shaik Roslinah Bux,

Author of e-Sustainable Productivity Talk/ Deputy Director,

Productivity & Competitiveness Development (PCD) Division,

Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)

(E) roslinahbux@mpc.gov.my

September 2018

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e-Sustainability Talk 1/2017: Revisiting NEM

Welcome to the brand new year of 2017! The year 2016 was more dramatic than 2015

globally. In view of the global challenges awaiting this year, be it economically,

environmentally or socially, it is important that we have our fundamentals right. This, in turn,

will help us to manoeuvre our anticipated bumpy journey throughout 2017. One pertinent

thought that was conveyed by one of our affiliates recently is the need to revisit and

understand our New Economic Model (NEM) that was unveiled to us on 30th March 2010.

NEM was developed in tandem with the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015). It has the aim to

guide our nation’s development and transformation towards Vision 2020. Hence, it makes

sense that we should revisit NEM as we work on our 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020) and

the impending Malaysia Productivity Blueprint. By the way, after 6 years, how many of us

(apart from our young Malaysians) remember what NEM is? In this bulletin, I will share

some pertinent pointers of NEM:

1. NEM is an output from our National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) mandated by

the Prime Minister of Malaysia to formulate an economic transformational model for

Malaysia;

2. The NEAC was mooted by the Prime Minister to evaluate the nation’s economic state,

and to recommend medium-to-long term strategic guidelines for structural reforms

aimed at propelling Malaysia to a higher level of competitiveness and efficiency;

3. NEAC had the role to provide fresh independent perspective in transforming Malaysia

from a middle income to a high-income economy by 2020; and

4. The NEAC is also entrusted to provide fresh views on bridging the gap between public

and private sectors, create new public-private partnerships and intensify regional

cooperation (i.e. AEC from ASEAN) towards sustainable GDP growth.

Numerous pre-NEM issues and challenges have been highlighted and we need to take

cognizance of how much of the following issues and challenges have been addressed. This

is crucial as we have less than three years to reach 2020.

Issues / Challenges Remark / Question

Middle income trap Are we still trapped?

Slower economic engine & emergence of

other developing economies

These two phenomena are getting more

challenging by the day!

Declining investment & attractiveness as

investment destination

Are you aware? Malaysia has been doing

much promotion work for FDIs lately.

High dependency on low skilled workers &

foreign labours

There have been resistances to change the

way we do business. Labour intensiveness

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will jeopardise our plan to be a developed

nation.

Critical stage of human capital – brain

drain, migration

Grass always seemed greener on the other

side. Do we not have our own green grass?

The Government is burdened with

subsidies

Subsidy rationalization is essential if we

want to be a developed nation and compete

on a level playing field.

We have certainly come a long way since 2010. Much efforts have been expended and

emplaced. In today’s dynamic situation, the challenging journey continues. As everything

around us revolves the need for sustainability, I would like to share again a remark of Marco

Lambertini, Director-General of WWF International that was published in the Living Planet

Report 2014 that I have shared last year: “We are all connected - and collectively, we have

the potential to find and adopt the solutions that will safeguard the future of this, our one

and only planet.” Remember, Seven Billion Dreams, One Planet, Consume with Care”.

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e-Sustainability Talk 2/2017: Understanding NEM

Time sure flies. It was just like yesterday we welcomed 2017; today, we have another week

before we bid adieu to January 2017 with two celebrations in tow: the Chinese New Year

this weekend, and the Federal Territory Day on 1st. February 2017. The urgent question

now is, have we also moved in parallel with the flying time in terms of our contribution

towards the betterment of our community and nation. NEM or New Economic Model that

was initiated on 30th. March 2010 has three key goals; namely, high-income with targets

of USD15,000 to USD 20,000 per capita by 2020, inclusiveness that enables all

communities to fully benefit from the wealth of the country, and sustainability, that

emphasizes the importance of meeting present needs without compromising future

generations. These three goals as depicted in the diagram below1 and that work towards

enhancing our Rakyat’s Quality of Life are guided by NEM’s four principles; they are: market

friendly, merit-based, need-based and transparent.

Why are we so engrossed in pursuing NEM and putting on connecting goals as we journey

along the time highway? Basically, it is about wanting to be a developed nation that is

market-led by 2020. We also want to be well governed, regionally integrated, have high

sense of entrepreneurism and innovative. Moving into the 2020 status require parallel mind-

set transformation. Are we ready to change to achieve the desired national goals? Are we

what one of ex-premier has said “First class infrastructure with third class mentality?” Much

introspections and retrospections have to be undertaken to determine if we are receptive

1 Source: NEAC

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to the challenges that come with national advancement efforts or are we merely a cork in

the bottle – a hindrance to national transformation efforts? This self-evaluation determines

the sustainability of our national growth. Remember, we have less than three years to reach

2020 and there are almost Eight Billion Dreams now but only one planet; hence, the need to be 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care.

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e-Sustainability Talk 3/2017: Goals of NEM and NTP

Hello February 2017! After a month of adjusting ourselves for the New Year, the momentum

to address dynamic changes and the anticipated global challenges that lay ahead is slowly

picking up. Cognizance must be taken to move in parallel with the changing times. In

Malaysia, we have the second. half of our New Economic Model (NEM) Agenda (2010-

2020) to achieve. This is being carried out through our 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020). I

have shared in my earlier bulletin that NEM has three key goals as depicted in the diagram

below.

Source: NEAC

The goal of the NEM is for Malaysia to be a developed and competitive economy where Malaysians

could enjoy high quality of life and high level of income resulting from growth that is both

inclusive and sustainable. The NEM is one of the four important pillars needed to achieve

Vision 2020. The other three pillars of the national transformation program are: (1)

1Malaysia; (2) Government Transformation Program (GTP); and (3) the current 11th

Malaysia Plan (2016-2020). 1Malaysia was launched in April 2009 with the tag line of

People First, Performance Now. The aim of 1Malaysia is to preserve and enhance unity in

diversity. This was followed by GTP in January 2010. GTP has six national key result areas

(NKRAs) and the aim to ensure effective delivery of government services. The 11th

Malaysia Plan is a continuation effort from the 10th Malaysia Plan launched in June 2010 to

ensure smooth implementation of our government’s development programme with

macroeconomic growth targets and expenditure allocation. NEM is a key driver for

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Economic Transformation Program (ETP). ETP was launched in March 2010 with eight

Strategic Reform Initiators (SRIs). Since 2015, both GTP and ETP have been synergized

and reported as a cohesive national transformation story to the nation. The National

Transformation Programme (NTP) is an instrumental catalyst in improving public service

delivery through the GTP and reshaping the dynamics of public-private sector

collaborations through the ETP. I will share more on the NTP-NEM story in my next bulletin.

Till then, remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide) and we need to be 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity and sustain

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e-Sustainability Talk 4/2017: The NEM-NTP Story

Hello again! I have shared on our New Economic Model (NEM)’s goals and a prelude on

our National Transformation Programme (NTP). Both NEM and NTP have the same target

of Vision 2020. In this bulletin, we will continue the journey of enhancing our understanding

on the NEM-NTP story. As strategic moves to achieve our Vision 2020, the Malaysian

Government has emplaced three important initiatives: the NTP where the private sector

leads while the government facilitates; the NEM through which subsidies are reviewed and

rationalized as subsidies are not sustainable in the long run; and our 5-year periodical

Malaysia Plan that focuses on innovation, creativity and value-added activities. The three

initiatives are synchronized into our economic and social goals through the 1Malaysia

concept. The NEM has the foundation of three important principles, namely (1) high income – as defined by World Bank, (2) sustainability, i.e. meeting present needs without

compromising future generations, and (3) inclusiveness – enabling all communities to

benefit from the wealth of the country. High income has been noted to be achievable

through innovation, creativity, higher productivity, new technology as well as the

development of multi-skilled and highly skilled workforce. Sustainability focuses on

environmental friendly projects, increased quality of life and high and sustained growth

path. Inclusiveness is achievable through affirmative actions and narrowing the income

inequalities. The important part of NEM is the eight Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRIs). The

eight SRIs have become essential policy instruments to drive the model to realization.

Besides the Government Transformation Programme (GTP), the NEM is also linked to the

Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), the other key component of NTP. The ETP

has 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEA), they are as indicated in the table below:

The 12 NKEAs of ETP 1. Oil and Gas 4. Financial

Services

7. Agriculture 10. Tourism

2. Education

Services

5. Electrical &

Electronics

8. Private Health

Care

11. Greater Kuala

Lumpur

3. Palm Oil 6. Business

Services

9. Wholesale &

Retail

12. ICT

It needs to be repeated here that the implementation of the transformation plans requires

the collaboration of both the private and the public sectors. Despite commendable

economic achievements in the past few decades, Malaysia is still trapped in the middle-

income gap. Malaysia has always have commendable vision and strategy but weak

implementation. Hence, delivery is a key issue in realizing the NEM. In enforcing the

importance of this factor, the Prime Minister of Malaysia has reminded all public sector

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employees that delivery is a key performance indicator for 2017. NEM is a timely effort, as

fast emerging economies such as Vietnam and Indonesia have become economic forces

to be reckon with. This is in addition to the business challenges posed by the BRICS (Brazil,

Russia, India, China and South Africa) economic forces. The noble goal of NEM is very

much dependent upon the delivery effort of all workforce in Malaysia. With less than three

years and a much challenging global scenario, the ability of achieving our Vision 2020

certainly requires the cohesive effort of every Malaysian in striving to become a high income

advanced nation with inclusiveness and sustainability. I will share more on the NEM-NTP

story in my next bulletin. Until the next bulletin, remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide) and we need to be 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity and sustainability!

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e-Sustainability Talk 5/2017: The NEM-NTP Story II

Welcome to the 11th week of 2017. As we count down to the 2nd Quarter of 2017, it is

equally important that we take stock on how we have performed for the past 10 weeks.

Cognizance must be taken to differentiate between being busy with many activities and

actually achieving desired goals with due deliverables. There is always the need to do a

balancing act between quality and quantity output with due effectiveness for outcome. It

is always important to do the RIGHT things (effectiveness) rather than doing things right

(efficiency). The practice of this principle would determine the success or otherwise of our

NEM & NTP initiatives. It is a concern that despite Malaysia being one of the 12 countries

that registered an average growth rate of 7% or more per annum in the 25 years since

World War II, we are still trying to break free from the “middle-income trap” for the past

two decades! The deceleration in Malaysia’s economic growth was attributed to the

decline in private investment, initially due to the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998, then the

2008 global crisis and currently, another round of global sluggish economic scenario

caused by the drastic decline in global crude oil price for the past few years. Nonetheless,

Malaysia has persevered on with various counter-measures guided by the NEM and NTP

blueprints to achieve the gross national income per capita of USD 10,570 in 2015. This

information reported by World Bank on 1 February 2017 indicated that we are still short

by almost 30% from our targeted high income of RM15,000 by the year 2020, and we

have less than three years to arrive at 1 January 2020! With many dynamic challenges

happening globally, how would we chart the picture come 2020? Stay tuned, we will know

by then! As said before, the noble goal of NEM that has been incorporated into our NTP

and periodical economic plans depends heavily on the delivery mechanism. The

Malaysian Government has continuously made effort to revive and reorient our economy

to high-value services as well as boost domestic investment and consumption. One of the

enabling mechanisms is the eight Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRI) with corresponding

policy purposes as outlined in the NEM blueprint. These are as depicted in the following

table:

Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRI) Policy purpose 1. Reenergizing the private sector Target high value-added products and

services

Remove barriers and costs of doing

business

Create eco-system for entrepreneurship

and innovation

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Encourage efficiency through healthy

competition

Promote SME growth

Create regional champions

2. Developing a quality workforce and

reducing dependency on foreign

labour

Increase local talent over time

Re-skill the existing labour force

Retain and access global talent

Remove labour-market distortions

constraining wage growth

Reduce reliance on foreign labour

3. Creating a competitive domestic

economy

Improve economic efficiency through

competition

Build entrepreneurship

Remove market distortions leading to

misallocation of resources

4. Strengthening the public sector Improve decision-making process

Improve service delivery

Reduce “friction costs”

Provide a safety net to facilitate a

smooth transition

Strengthen public finance management

5. Transparent and market-friendly

affirmative action

Reduce income disparity

Create market-friendly affirmative

action

Narrow regional differences

Encourage reward on the basis of

performance

Promote equal and fair access to

opportunities

6. Building the knowledge base and

infrastructure

Create an ecosystem for

entrepreneurship

Promote an environment for innovation

Establish stronger enabling institution

7. Enhancing the sources of growth Create value from first-mover and other

comparative advantages

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Develop greater integration between

products

Create new markets

Build scale of industries and production

networks for specialisation

Harness innovation potential

Integrate real-sector industries with

financial services

8. Ensuring sustainability of growth Preserve natural resources

Leverage on comparative advantages

for high value added products and

services

Meet international commitments

Facilitate bank lending and financing for

“green investments”

Ensure sound public finances

So much for now. The story of NEM-NTP continues in my next bulletin. Till then, have

sustainable productivity days ahead, and remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide) and we need to be 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity and sustainability!

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e-Sustainability Talk 6/2017: The NEM-NTP Story III

The past week has been rather exciting for Malaysia as we close the chapter for the 1st

Quarter of 2017. There were a few national events; namely the Langkawi International

Maritime & Aerospace (LIMA) 2017 exhibition, the launching of the Digital Free Trade

Zone (DFTZ) by YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia and Jack Ma of Alibaba Group, and the

announcement of the Employment Insurance System (EIS) that will be enforced on 1

January 2018. These are certainly value-adding outcomes from our on-going journey

along the National Transformation Programme (NTP) guided by the New Economic Model

principles. I have shared the eight Strategic Reform Initiatives with corresponding policy

purposes in my bulletin 5/2017. Analysing the said items reveal similar ideas being

reiterated and expanded in the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020) and numerous national

economic papers. There have also been a growing emphasis for foreign direct investment

(FDI) abroad as further sources of growth. The rational is that local market is relatively

small. Although the population of Malaysia is estimated to be about 31 million now,

resources can be quite limited. As a small economy, Malaysia has to invest more abroad

to benefit from bigger foreign market and resources. Other small economies such as

Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan have set their long-term growth strategy

through FDI abroad. Local market and domestic resources for these economies are also

small and limited. Hence, Nestle of Switzerland, a widely known brand and company,

obtains 90% of its revenue through its vast investments overseas. Advancements in

technologies have increased the production capacity of various industries in Malaysia

resulting in more supply than domestic demand. Therefore, FDI abroad whether through

smart partnerships or joint ventures would enable Malaysia to penetrate more overseas

market for various local products. Barriers, transportation costs and other new forms of

barriers have made direct export from domestic market difficult. Production of local

products abroad and partnership with foreign companies could accelerate local market

expansion as well as develop foreign customer’s loyalty. In this aspect, Petronas,

Maybank, CIMB, YTL, Genting Group, AirAsia, Axiata Berhad and Limkokwing University

have explored the potentials of international market with noted success. It is encouraging

to know that many large Malaysian companies of diverse background have taken the

national transformation challenge and facilitate the aim of Malaysia to be a high-income

economy by 2020. As transformation plans and strategies are assimilated in our

subsequent national agenda, we will talk more about our NTP in my following bulletins.

Until the next bulletin in Quarter 2 of 2017, have sustainable productivity days ahead.

Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity and sustainability!

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e-Sustainability Talk 7/2017: The NTP Story

Welcome to the 2nd Quarter of 2017. The National Transformation Programme (NTP) has

been instrumental in building our nation’s socio-economic resilience and sustainability.

Since the start of the NTP in 2010, the Government Transformation Programme (GTP)

has improved public service delivery while the Economic Transformation Programme

(ETP) reshaped the dynamics of public-private sector collaboration. Beginning 2015,

PEMANDU combined both the GTP and ETP’s achievements and challenges into one

report; namely, the NTP Annual Report 2015 to provide a cohesive national

transformation story. The past seven years were eventful. However, concerted efforts

from all parties have enabled Malaysia to fare relatively well economically against

numerous challenges such as uncertainties in large global economies, low commodity

prices and trade competition that impaired the value of the ringgit and investor’s

confidence in Malaysia. As indicated by YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia, the last seven

years have been a test of the effectiveness of our transformation work. He opined that

leveraging upon inclusive and sustainable measures have facilitated NTP programs to

progress accordingly to realise our 2020 goals. The GTP 2.0 initiated in 2012 was able to

deliver big fast results to transform the civil service. The ETP continues to spur private

sector participation in the economy through the 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs)

and Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRI) to create a favourable business environment to

facilitate business growth. Hence, armed with the private sector as a key driver through

consumption and investment, Malaysia registered a gross domestic product (GDP)

growth of 5 percent in 2015. Also in 2015, a historical event took place in April when the

long-mulled Goods and Services Tax (GST) was implemented to introduce a fairer

taxation system in Malaysia. The introduction of GST was timely as it created the financial

buffers for Malaysia as the nation grappled with dramatically dropping oil prices that

affected national coffer. The year 2015 also saw the establishment of the national Human

Capital Development Council with the role to spearhead policies and initiatives that would

facilitate the creation of a globally savvy workforce in Malaysia. Through its concluding

journey, NTP continues its trajectory to deliver changes that would uplift the lives of all

Malaysians. Research commissioned by World Bank Group through the Competitive

Industries and Innovation Programme (CIIP) entitled “Doing, Learning, Being: A study of

Malaysia’s Transformation Programme” confirmed that methodologies used to implement

the NTP has enabled the nation to reap transformative results. So much for now, I will

share more information on NTP in my next bulletin. Here’s wishing everyone sustainable

productivity days ahead. Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity and sustainability!

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e-Sustainability Talk 8/2017: The NTP Story II

Hello there! In continuing our talk on National Transformation Programme (NTP), let us

do a brief recap. NTP is an extended initiative of our New Economic Model (NEM) unveiled

by the Prime Minister of Malaysia in 2009. NEM has the aim and plans to turn Malaysia

into a globally competitive high-income nation by 2020. NEM was initiated through

different approach. In diversion from the conventional top down way, a series of labs

participated by stakeholders from the Government, the private sector, civil society and

members of the public were organized to pin point problem areas and identify solutions

with clear implementation plans that would enable the nation to achieve its high-income

target. It was through the consultative labs that resulted in the birth of GTP, ETP and

corresponding key performance indicators (KPI) that also created the performance culture

among ministries, departments and agencies. All these had since 2015 been reported in

one synergized report and one common banner called the National Transformation

Programme.

At the beginning, the GTP had six National Key Results Areas (NKRAs); the seventh

NKRA on “Addressing Rising Cost of Living” was included on a year later. Subsequently

in 2014, the “Public Service Delivery Transformation” which was previously one of the

Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRIs) under the ETP became the eighth NKRA. Top sectors

of the economy where Malaysia has comparative advantages in were featured as the 12

National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) in the ETP. Each key result area has respective

governance structure to ensure effective and efficient problem-solving, swift decision-

making and win-win relationships between Government and private sector. Additionally,

to increase the ease of doing business and creating a more competitive environment for

companies to thrive, reforms were initiated through the six Strategic Reform Initiatives

(SRIs) introduced in 2011. The six SRIs became the enablers to ensure competitiveness.

The SRIs formulated from 37 policy measures recommended by the National Economic

Advisory Council (NEAC) were the result of consultations held in six labs involving 500

public and private sector representatives in 2011. This conversation on NTP continues in

my next bulletin. See you in May 2017! Till then, have sustainable productivity days

ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity and sustainability!

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e-SusP Talk 9/2017: Catalysing the Economy

Welcome to the 5th month of 2017. The 8th.of May 2017 marks a historical milestone for

MPC as the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia launches the Malaysia Productivity

Blueprint (MPB). Business will definitely be different from now on for MPC. We will have

more challenging and business not as usual assignments that will value-add the function

of who we are to the nation. Transformations of mind-sets will have to take place if we are

to be the catalyst to spearhead productivity development and growth for the nation. As

productivity is a key enabler for economic growth, it is befitting that this periodical bulletin

takes on a complementing name: e-SusP Talk that focuses specifically on sustainable

productivity efforts of the nation, be it at national, community or individual level. This

week’s bulletin talks about the need for us to catalyse the economy. In the midst of

challenging business environment, the Malaysian Government has been instrumental in

creating and sustaining macroeconomic stability. The government also expend

continuous effort to open up avenues where the private sector could participate and build

stronger foundation. A desired outcome from these efforts are certainly to achieve the

goals of our 2020 targets; namely, high-income nation, sustainability and inclusiveness.

The 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) of our NTP underscore Malaysia’s

targeted approach to achieving sustainable economic growth. The government also duly

prioritises the 12 NKEAs due to their potential to enhance Gross National Income (GNI).

For inclusiveness and realising private-sector-driven growth, each NKEA offers private

sector involvement and investment opportunities through Entry Point Projects (EPPs). As

of 2016, there were 149 EPPs that involved both large corporations and SMEs. A noted

benefit for small traders where revenues improved was in the Agriculture NKEA.

Randomly situated outdoor markets were transformed and integrated into a dedicated

community market known as “Pasar Komuniti” or PAKAR. The community markets have

improved facilities that encourage higher hygiene standards and a comfortable shopping

environment. This, in turn, improves productivity. The first PAKAR that was set up in

Manjung, Perak in 2012 recorded initial total sales of RM384,081. Since then, the

Government has set up another 10 PAKARs in various states such as Kedah, Negeri

Sembilan, Pahang, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak. Two noted outcomes from the 10

PAKARs were the generation of total sales amounting to RM76.6 million and the creation

of 2,738 jobs.

In the Wholesale & Retail NKEA, 2216 mom-and-pop stores underwent improvements

through EPP2’s small retailer transformation programme (TUKAR) during the period of

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2011-2015. A 2013 study revealed that 77 percent of TUKAR participants experienced

higher revenues after the transformation, bringing another gain for national productivity.

The finding that private investments reached 65 percent of the total investments into the

economy towards the end of the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015) complements this

encouraging outcome. It is Malaysia’s aspiration to have the private sector owning up to

92 percent of total investment by 2020. So much for now; as we embrace the newly

launched MPB, we will have more interesting e-SusP Talks in my subsequent bulletins.

Till then, have sustainable productivity days ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

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e-SusP Talk 10/2017: Nurturing Future Talent and Inclusiveness

Hello there. Further to my recent bulletin on “Catalysing the Economy”, we will talk about

nurturing future talent and inclusiveness in this issue. Nurturing future talent is a focus

that the Malaysian Government has emphasised on since the inception of the National

Transformation Programme (NTP) in 2010. The National Key Result Area (NKRA)

Education, National Key Economic Area (NKEA) Education and Strategic Reform

Initiative (SRI) Human Capital Development were the key drivers for this focus. Under the

Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap 2.0, the NKRA Education

recorded an achievement of 132 High Performing Schools (HPS) within five years,

exceeding the targeted goal of 100 HPS. It is important that the existing HPS continue to

maintain their standards and quality so that the HPS could be the role model for other

schools as well as setting international benchmarks. The current Literacy and Numeracy

Screening (LINUS) programme has the objective to ensure Primary 3 students are

competent in the English Language, Bahasa Malaysia and numeracy. In 2015, this

programme charted the performance of 94.1 percent for English Language literacy, 98.6

percent for Bahasa Malaysia literacy, and 99.1 percent for numeracy literacy among the

targeted students. This outcome is encouraging as poor quality of English Language

command among school students has been a national concern.

Another element of continuous national focus is inclusiveness. As Malaysia strives

towards a high-income status, there will certainly be clusters of people who struggle to

keep up. Various NKRA teams; namely, the Cost of Living, Low-Income Households and

Rural Development have implemented numerous initiatives to reduce the disparity and

bridging the economic divide among Malaysians. The six 1AZAM programmes such as

AZAM Tani, AZAM Niaga, AZAM Kerja, AZAM Khidmat and AZAM Bandar provided many

families with means of generating sustainable income, financial assistance, skills training

and motivational sessions. The outcome from the five years 1AZAM’s effort was the

reduction of poverty rate in Malaysia from 3.8 per cent in 2009 to 0.6 percent today. The

e-Kasih database of 1AZAM that captures the details of households that require

assistance was accorded the United Nation’s Public Service Award in 2012. World Bank

through its report “Economic Monitor 2014” also recognised Malaysia as “a success story

in shared prosperity” as all households experienced income growth. Growth was higher

for those households at the bottom of the distribution, a pattern that led to lower inequality.

The efforts of NKRA Low-Income Household were complemented by the work of NKRA

Rural Development that ensured Malaysians especially those in rural settings, have

access to equitable standard of living. As of December 2015, the Water Delivery and

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Electricity Delivery initiatives delivered the following: 345,665 rural households nationwide

had access to clean and treated water, while 143,899 rural households enjoyed 24-hour

electricity. The target is to achieve 99 percent of Malaysian households having access to

both clean and treated water as well as electricity by 2020.

Nurturing future talents and inclusiveness are certainly enablers for achieving our NTP and

the Malaysia Productivity Blueprint as national agenda are interconnected and should be

built-on progressively to facilitate our journey to becoming a high-income nation. So much

for now. Until the next bulletin, have sustainable productivity days ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

23

e-SusP Talk 11/2017: Sustaining Socio-Economic Efforts

Hello again. We have roughly three and a half years more to achieve our 2020 goals. As

a nation, the fundamental resilience of Malaysia has facilitated our capabilities to respond

proactively to global volatility in the last two years. However, there are still numerous

weaknesses and opportunities that we must work on to enhance our socio-economic

developments. The impetus for innovation amongst local companies is still wanting.

South Korea that had started on similar footing as Malaysia is now way ahead as a high-

income nation. The simple reason being South Korea has successful local companies

such as Samsung and Hyundai that have the drive to win it big in the global market.

Malaysia has catching ups to do as the nation has not been able to hit the right markets

in increasing productivity growth. Hence, the birth of the recently launched Malaysia

Productivity Blueprint (MPB) that has the role to expedite our goals achievement set for

2020. The guiding target for MPB and the 11th Malaysia Plan is 3.7% labour productivity

growth per annum. Malaysia’s labour productivity growth of 3.5% for 2016 at RM78,128

is only 85% of the 11th Malaysia Plan’s labour productivity target of RM92,300 that should

be achieved by 2020. Geopolitical tensions as well as currency and commodity price

fluctuations have dampened global economic recovery. Hence, public-private sectors

collaborations are rejuvenated where private sector should assume the role to drive

national economic improvements as sustainable economic growth must be private-sector-

led. Malaysians must realise that the Government can only facilitate and create conducive

environment for businesses to thrive. Eventually, it is local businesses that must innovate

to produce products and services that can compete with the best. As noted for 2015,

growth of private sector’s portion of the national investment ratio was encouraging,

charting 65 % of the total investments in Malaysia. It is the nation’s aspiration of getting

private sector to own 92 % of total investments by 2020. In the interest of pursuing

sustainable and responsible growth for Malaysia, this aspiration is necessary. The private

sector should take the lead in attracting investments into the country so that the

Government could focus on developing conducive and business friendly environment that

enables sectoral growth. This is done in tandem with the continuing effort to improve

quality of life, welfare of the rakyat and strengthening our institution. The importance of

maintaining the momentum of our transformation effort is crucial for us to attain high-

income status in inclusive and sustainable ways. The Government together with the

private sector must remain resolute, stay the course and continuously committed to

seeing the transformation programme to its completion in 2020. The Government through

the National Transformation Programme (NTP) has emplaced the essence of relevance,

sustainability and inclusiveness for all. Ultimately, the nation must collectively come

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together and be united to support national transformation so that a better Malaysia could

be delivered to our future generations. We adjourn our e-SusP talk here; until the next

bulletin, have sustainable productivity days ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

25

e-SusP Talk 12/2017: Sustaining Growth & Resilience

As the first half year of 2017 journeys to a close in less than two weeks’ time, we certainly

have much to introspect and retrospect on the many happenings that have taken place

for the past six months. Sustainable issues are getting more crucial and critical by the

day. Do we care? Many people are still nonchalant about sustainability and their role in

this matter. Interestingly, there is a high correlation between the health of our planet earth

and the health of the humankind. Have we noticed that there are more diseases and

health issues than before; and there are more natural disasters than before? When the

planet gets sick, so too will the human race including all living subjects that live on it! The

big question remains: how much progress have we made in the quest to be sustainable

in everything we do? In this issue, we will talk about sustaining national growth and

resilience. Thanks to the interventionist approach taken for our transformation agenda

that has enabled Malaysia to withstand global challenges – repeatedly. Our commendable

resilience has facilitated Malaysia to chart 5.6% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth

for the 1st Quarter of 2017. For the past seven years since Malaysia embarked on the

National Transformation agenda, the nation as a whole recorded progresses in the

Government sector, in the economy and the society as a whole. The Malaysian

Government today is able to deliver public services effectively as well as continuously

sustain the work of building better living standards for all. There have been many

individual transformation stories from the 1AZAM initiatives to infrastructural changes of

national pride such as the soon to be completed Klang Valley MRT Sungai Buloh - Kajang

(SBK) line. Come 17 July 2017, city dwellers in the Klang Valley will have the opportunity

to experience the full impact of the ambitious project. The Government has taken diligent

steps to value add and in improving our living standards to the level of developed nations.

Numerous projects undertaken had the objective for sustained economic growth that is

private-sector-led. Between the years 2010 and 2015, the fiscally resilient measures of

the Government enabled the GDP of the country to grow by 30 percent. The continued

investment and consumption from the private sector also fuelled this growth. This

outcome is encouraging as it is in line with the aspiration of the Economic Transformation

Programme (ETP) to see increased participation of the private sector in driving the

economy forward. Coming back to the SBK, dwellers at the southern region of the Klang

Valley certainly look forward to the date 17 July 2017 so that they also get their turn to

enjoy the fruits and convenience of the MRT system. The landscape for travelling between

Sungai Buloh and Kajang will definitely change. For people who do not like driving around

Klang Valley and do not drive at all; this time we can say, “Now, anyone can commute!”

So much for now, until the next bulletin, have sustainable productivity days ahead!

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Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

27

e-SusP Talk 13/2017: NKRA on the Rising Cost of Living

Welcome to the second half of 2017. As most Malaysians take stock of respective first

half-year performance, achievements and progress, it is equally important to put in place

well-thought out plan to guide our second half year journey – regardless if you are

working, self-employed or just someone managing something informally such as the

home. In this bulletin, we will talk about the hot topic that is at the lips of many Malaysians:

the rising cost of living. While the nation goes through the transition process as we strive

towards high-income status by 2020, the Government is giving due priority to the Rising

Cost of Living (COL) National Key Result Area (NKRA) by easing the transition

adjustments and where possible, alleviate the economic burden of our society. Through

the COL NKRA, short-term and immediate reliefs are delivered to the specified segments

of society in particular Malaysians in the bottom 40 percent (B40) in economic terms. The

main aims are to help them cope with the rising cost of living and guide them in better

managing their households’ expenditure. In 2015, the Government revised its assistance

to the B40 by creating better-targeted system to benefit those of genuine need. One of

which is the subsidy rationalisation. The Government had also introduced a more effective

and broad-based tax through the six percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April 2015.

There are pros and cons with the implementation of GST and subsidy rationalisation. Both

the GST and subsidy rationalisation activities have indirectly contributed to the increase

in prices for goods and services. However, we need to acknowledge the importance of

both measures in strengthening the country’s long-term financial resilience. Hence, the

Government continues to mitigate price impacts and stay focused in rolling out COL

NKRA initiatives to support Malaysians in need. The COL NKRA has undertaken two

approaches in accomplishing its objective of providing immediate relief to the rakyat. The

first approach being the provision of targeted direct cash assistance through programmes

such as BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia), BB1M (Bantuan Buku 1Malaysia) and

BKAP1M (Bantuan Khas Awal Persekolahan 1Malaysia). The BR1M initiative is a

targeted direct cash assistance for households earning less than RM4,000 per month. In

2015, 7.1 million Malaysians comprising both households and individuals received BR1M

assistance. The BKAP1M initiative aims to ease the burden of parents. The second

approach is through the increase of the availability of affordable basic goods and services

such as K1M (Klinik 1Malaysia), KR1M (Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia) and MR1M (Menu

Rakyat 1Malaysia). KR1M, K1M and MR1M aim to deliver essential goods and services

such as groceries, healthcare and food at prices that are affordable to the B40 as well as

enabling them to have more of their disposable income. Produk Rakyat 1Malaysia brands

are locally produced, generically branded and usually sold at 15 to 30 percent lower than

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similar premium brand goods. In retrospection, the Malaysian economy faced economic

volatilities from the external environment in 2015. The strengthening US dollar

compounded this situation. Two distinct outcomes from the economic volatilities were the

decrease in oil-based revenue to the Government and the sliding value of Malaysian

ringgit. In addressing this situation coupled with the need to achieve better fiscal

discipline, the Government had to make the difficult decision to restructure the country’s

subsidy models and implement GST to transform the nation’s taxation system and to

make it more efficient. At the same time, the Government also takes cognisance of the

rakyat’s pressing needs, in particular the vulnerable households that lack the financial

capacity to weather the impact of challenging economic times. Therefore, the government

maintains its commitment in sustaining the COL NKRA initiatives to ensure assistance

reaches the B40 specifically and ease our general Malaysians’ transitory journey to

become a high-income nation by 2020. So much for now, until the next bulletin, have

sustainable productivity days ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

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e-SusP Talk 14/2017: Creating Sustainable Rural Communities

Hello. We have arrived at the 29th week of 2017. In my last e-bulletin, we have talked about

NKRA on the rising cost of living. We will proceed to the topic of creating sustainable rural

communities for this serial. As inclusiveness is a key principle of 1Malaysia, all national

development efforts address the needs of the rakyat, both urban and rural. It is the National

Transformation Programme (NTP) plan to enhance and equip the rural areas with the

provision of basic amenities and to transform rural areas into thriving and sustainable

centres of commerce. Between the years 2010-2015, about 5.6 million Malaysians in the

rural areas experienced improved standards of living through the delivery of roads, clean

/treated water, housing and 24-hour electricity. In tandem with the NTP, the Rural

Development NKRA (RD-NKRA) has the aim to ensure inclusive development for the rural

folks. It is envisioned that if villages could have modern infrastructure facilities, Malaysia

would then be able to reverse the trend of rural-urban movement. Whence the rural

landscape could support more high-value economic activities, there certainly would be

better job prospects and opportunities in villages, This, in turn, would encourage people

who have migrated to the cities to consider reverse migration to revitalise their communities

which subsequently would enable the creation of sustainable rural communities. In 2012,

the RD-NKRA initiated the 21st century village (21CV) programme to build the rural

economies. The 21CV programme was designed to boost rural economies and make them

more attractive to the youth in the communities. Through this programme, initiatives such

as eco-tourism and premium fruit farming have innovated various rural economic activities,

improved access to markets and business opportunities, and empowered rural

entrepreneurs to be more independent. Accordingly, residents in Desa Lestari under the

21CV programme enjoy higher income and economic growth as well as value-added rural

economies. Besides, there is also the “Large-scale fruit and vegetable farms” Entry Point

Project initiative under the 21CV that offers job opportunities to the rural people. Farms of

over 200 acres in size are planted with different kinds of premium export-quality fruits such

as pineapples, bananas, papayas and melons. These fruits are marketed within Malaysia

and abroad, such as Korea and Japan. That is all for this bulletin. We will continue our talk

in August. Until then, have sustainable productivity days ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

30

e-SusP Talk 15/2017: Making Public Transportation a choice

Welcome back! We have talked about rising cost of living and creating sustainable

communities in my last two e-SusP Talk bulletins. This serial will focus on transportation

– a hot topic since the launching of the full Sungai Buloh–Kajang (SBK) MRT line on 17

July 2017 by our Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia. Improving the urban

transportation ecosystem is one of the seven National Key Results Areas (NKRA) under

the Government Transformation Programme (GTP). As Malaysia is currently on the

journey to become a high-income nation, enhancing and developing the nation’s urban

public transport system became crucial. It is the Greater Kuala Lumpur / Klang Valley

(GKL/KV) commuters’ hope to have efficient, cost-effective, reliable, comfortable and safe

public transportation services. The Urban Public Transport (UPT) NKRA aims to create a

reputable, reliable service that improves connectivity and accessibility with a focus on

public transport demand, customer satisfaction and making public transport more

attractive. The GKL/KV region that covers the business and administrative capitals of

Malaysia is expected to reach a population of 10 million by 2020. Hence, significant

upgrading of the region’s public transportation infrastructure is necessary to cater to the

transportation needs of that magnitude. High-impact public transport projects in the

GKL/KV area that enhances connectivity and accessibility of public transport modes are

part of Malaysia’s economic and sustainable development objectives. Among the high-

impact public transport projects are:

1) The 5.4km Sunway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a strategically located facility in the busy

suburbs of Sunway and Subang Jaya. The BRT aims to alleviate the morning

congestion of the busy township that is also served by three major highways (NPE,

LDP and KESAS). Currently, the BRT can transport 1000 passengers per hour per

direction during peak hours.

2) Phase One of the light rail transit (LRT) Ampang Line Extension Project (LEP) that

covers four additional stations; namely, Awan Besar, Muhibbah, Alam Sutera and

Kinrara BK5. The Ampang LEP that began operation on 31 October 2015, benefits

residents at Bukit Jalil, Projek Perumahan Rakyat Muhibbah, and Bandar Kinrara in

Puchong. It increases the Ampang Line daily ridership to 196,000, providing

comfortable access to the LRT and the rest of the integrated public transport network.

Since opened, the first phase of the LEP has recorded an average daily ridership of

4000 and the constantly full Park ‘n’ Ride facilities, taking about 2000 cars off the road.

3) The free GoKL bus service for four routes within the Central Business District (CBD)

to ease city traffic congestion.

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4) Smooth transfer from the Kuala Lumpur Sentral Monorail station to the Stesen Sentral

Kuala Lumpur via a covered link-bridge through the Nu Sentral Shopping Centre.

5) Construction of the Integrated Transport Terminal (ITT) Gombak in June 2016 to cater

for express buses servicing the Eastern Corridor. More than 400 buses will be removed

from entering the CBD after ITT Gombak is operational. ITT Gombak is the second of

the three planned ITTs. The first ITT at Bandar Tasik Selatan known as Terminal

Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) that started operation in 2011 caters to Southern buses. The

third ITT that is being planned will be at Sungai Buloh to cater for Northern buses.

The UPT NKRA aims to drive up the modal share of public transportation within GKL/KV to

40 percent of all commutes by 2030. The modal share of urban public transport has risen

from 10 percent in 2009 to 20 percent by the end of 2015. It became necessary that the

public transportation network is integrated, convenient, accessible, easy to use and

affordable when compared to driving. One of the key measures to gauge this performance

is commuters’ confidence. Hence, SPAD conducts yearly customer satisfaction survey for

public transport. There has been a gradual improvement of the customer satisfaction index

– from 48 percent in 2010 to 74 percent in 2015. Public transportation as with most other

industries is also supply and demand driven. A combination of the pull and push strategies

is essential to encourage people to embrace public transport as a way of life. In line with

the digital era, the Integrated Cashless Payment System (ICPS), a common payment

system for urban rail and bus networks, is another UPT-NKRA focus, targeted to be

operational by January 2018. On moving forward, the UPT NKRA has certainly recorded

many achievements. The taxi industry is also included in the public transport improvement

agenda. SPAD is tasked to see how taxi services can be improved through Taxi

Transformation Labs. Outcomes from the labs are being tabled to the Government for

approval and rollout implementation. With large-scale investments being put in place to

encourage more Malaysians to switch to using public transport, the nation looks forward to

realising our target of 40 percent modal share for urban public transport, lesser congestion

on urban roads, as well as improved mobility and sustainable quality of life. So much for

now, have sustainable productivity days ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

32

e-SusP Talk 16/2017: Alleviating Poverty for Inclusiveness

Hello again. In relation to the three New Economic Model (NEM) goals of High Income,

Inclusiveness and Sustainability, this bulletin focuses on inclusiveness and its methods of

implementation in Malaysia. Inclusiveness is defined as the creation of situations that

enable all communities to benefit from the wealth of the country. This goal relates with

the objective of our Government Transformation Programme (GTP) “to move Malaysia

forward to become an advanced, united and just society with higher living standard for

all.” Hence, the Government has established the National Key Results Area (NKRA) to

upgrade the living standard of low-income households that is now known as the Bottom

40. The collaboration and cooperation between both private and public sectors have

enabled the country to accomplish the reduction of national poverty from 3.8 percent in

2009 to 0.6 percent in 2014. All poverty-alleviating programmes are partner-driven where

the government enlist and welcome the participation of non-governmental organisations

(NGOs) and private sector partners to help fund and support poverty relieving programs.

Taking into cognisance that some of the lowest income households live in the most remote

parts of Malaysia, requiring the use of waterborne and airborne transport to reach them,

this achievement is quite a feat. Prior to the National Transformation Programme (NTP),

many Malaysians lived in areas without basic utilities such as electricity, roads and

running water. Besides, there is also the provision of safety nets for vulnerable Malaysians

with the aim to empower them to become self-sustaining so that they could lift themselves

up out of poverty. It is the objective of NTP to reduce reliance on direct cash assistance

as it is much more beneficial and sustainable to “teach them how to fish”. It is also

desirable that those who have made it out of poverty in turn reach out and mentor others

to do the same. Sustainable poverty alleviating initiatives have produced desirable

outcomes that would help eradicate absolute poverty in Malaysia for good. In

complementing this effort, the Implementation & Coordination Unit (ICU) has established

the e-Kasih database to host details of all low-income households in the country. Three

notable efforts that the government has taken to alleviate poverty are optimal resource

allocation, economic empowerment and rural transformation. Optimal resource allocation

requires connecting with the bottom 40 percent and going down on the ground to

understand the many different poverty circumstances. Economic empowerment is about

equipping low-income households with the basic needs so that they can focus on earning

a decent living and contribute productively to the national economy. Rural transformation

focuses on enhancing and equipping rural areas with basic amenities as well as

transforming the rural areas into thriving and sustainable centres of commerce. In the

effort to achieve sustainability beyond the provision of basic amenities, the 21st Century

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Village (21CV) programme was implemented in 2012. Among the initiatives undertaken

were eco-tourism and premium fruit farming. Additionally, innovation of various economic

activities in the rural areas such as eRezeki has further empower entrepreneurs to be

more independent, opening up better market and business prospects as well as income-

earning opportunities. So much for now, wishing everyone sustainable productivity days

ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

34

e-SusP Talk 17/2017: 1AZAM for Sustainable Livelihood of B40

Welcome back! We have talked about alleviating poverty for inclusiveness in my last

bulletin. Economic empowerment is a key factor in ensuring every Malaysian especially

those in the bottom 40 percent (B40) group achieves an acceptable level of financial

independence. One way to facilitate the economic empowerment target is through the

1AZAM (Akhiri Zaman Miskin) programme. 1AZAM initiatives have impacted the lives of

many low-income families, especially those in less developed areas. A noted success

story of 1AZAM Tani is on Chik Azmily Che Abdul Aziz of Kampung Beoh Gunong,

Kelantan. He was earning a mere RM500 a month as a daily labourer hired to look after

the home gardens of others as well as harvest oil palm fruits. Since joining 1AZAM Tani,

an initiative of MARDI (Malaysian Agricultural Research & Development Institute), he was

equipped with agricultural equipment and input to plant short-term seasonal cash crops

such as cucumbers, tubers, leafy vegetables and watermelons that he sells to

wholesalers. Besides, his wife was provided sewing machines to help her with her tailoring

work. Owner of a batik factory has also awarded Chik Azmily’s wife with a contract to tailor

batik shirts. Through these initiatives, Chik Azmily managed to improve his monthly

income by an astounding 10 times to RM5,000 a month and catapulted his family out of

hard-core poverty. Chik Azmily has since started farming kelulut (stingless bees) for their

honey and expanded his agricultural activities by renting abandoned or unused plots of

land. He also plans to sell the produce on his own in nearby farmers’ markets rather than

going through the wholesalers. The other 1AZAM initiative is 1AZAM Niaga. Tim Kawen

of Kampung Rejoi in Siburan, Sarawak was using his house as an adhoc sundry shop.

Through his participation in 1AZAM Niaga since 2014, Tim was able to obtain a proper

business license and expanded his retail space. His income increased from RM600 to

RM2,800 a month that enabled him to provide his family a more comfortable home. Tim’s

expanded sundry shop operation has also benefited his fellow villagers who can now

purchase their daily supplies without going down to town. Additionally, the Ministry of

Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government (KPKT) has developed the local

crowdsourcing portal for the benefit of all 1AZAM recipients. This free-for-life portal

increases the visibility and supply of Malaysian talent, and provides 1AZAM recipients the

opportunity to expand into new markets for their products. Furthermore, it is the objective

of the Government to collaborate continuously with the private sector by tapping on their

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes to reach out to eKasih participants

and ensuring that assistance is given to the right target groups. So much for now. Until

the next bulletin, here’s wishing everyone sustainable productivity days ahead!

35

Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

36

e-SusP Talk 18/2017: Raising Quality through Performance-driven Culture

Time sure flies! We have come to the last week of 3rd Quarter 2017. This is also the time

to take stock of how we have been for the first three quarters of 2017. Economically, the

nation has fared relatively well with the 5.8% GDP growth for the first half year. It is

projected that Malaysia’s GDP will grow at 5.7 to 5.9 % in 2017. This positive trajectory

augurs well for us. The question is, how have we, individually and collectively, at micro

and sectoral levels contribute to ensure we keep up with this positive momentum? Of

course, this points to the need to raise quality through performance-driven culture, and

this starts with our education system. Dynamic technology evolution has created greater

accessibility and connectivity shrinking the distance among people and making the world

seemed rather small! It became crucial that our education system provides our young

(children) with the right foundation to be globally competitive and prepared for the

challenges of the future. The Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB), a key enabler for our

National Transformation programme, provides guidelines on how to improve Malaysia’s

educational system in support of our nation’s goals and at the same time, ensures the

sustainability of talent supply over time. The MEB envisages equipping the nation with

high-quality workforce who contribute immensely to the country economically,

scientifically and culturally. The Assuring Quality Education National Key Results Area

(EDU-NKRA) sought to set proper foundations for sustainable improvements in student

learning environment and instil a performance-driven culture. Equal opportunities and

equitable access to high-quality early education became important factors for students in

both urban and rural areas. Some of the notable achievements of MEB are:

More children have access to pre-school education and childcare;

Financial assistance are provided to those who cannot afford pre-school education

and childcare; and

Benchmarks set by our High Performing Schools (HIPS) had made them

exemplars for others to follow.

As indicated in the Malaysia Productivity Blueprint, quality of workforce is a key challenge

and must be addressed. A high-income developed nation needs a steady supply of skilled

labour and an educated workforce so that local recruits can fill our country’s needs.

Employers and Human Resource recruiters have lamented that Malaysian graduates do

not always have the skillsets that employers look for. Therefore, EDU-NKRA aims to

prioritise proficiency in the English Language as this language is still the world’s lingua

franca and language of science; the development of critical thinking and problem-solving

skills; and strengthening the teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering

and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. A solid foundation will provide the impetus to develop

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skills for future employability and ensuring Malaysian youth becoming productive and

contributing members of the society to which they belong. Building future generations of

Malaysians with a performance-driven and outcome-based culture certainly requires a

holistic education system that is accessible to all regardless of age, gender and economic

status. So much for now. Until we meet again in the 4th Quarter of 2017, here’s wishing

everyone sustainable productivity days ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

38

e-SusP Talk 19/2017: Building National Talent Capacity

Welcome to the last Quarter of 2017. We have talked about raising quality through

performance-driven culture, the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB) and the Education

National Key Results Area (EDU-NKRA) in my recent bulletin. We will start our 4th Quarter

2017 conversation with another important topic: Building National Talent Capacity. The

EDU-NKRA’s efforts to foster schools of international quality have brought positive results

as shown by the success of numerous schools excelling in many international

competitions such as the Kaohsiung International Invention & Design Expo 2015.

Besides, there are also the implementation of Ministry of Education’s Virtual Learning

Environment initiative (1BestariNet) and higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) that

complement the problem-solving skills in students using current world affairs as a teaching

aid. Teachers can also look forward to greater attention on their career development as

teachers assume a critical role in building future leaders. They can now choose to assume

various career choices whether as teacher, leader or subject matter specialist. By 2025,

teaching is envisioned to become a profession of choice, opened only to the top 30

percent of school leavers. Teachers would be provided with continuous professional

development opportunities throughout a career that is both exciting and fulfilling. Another

issue of great concern in building national talent capacity is language proficiency. Both

High Immersion Programme (HIP) and Dual Language Programme (DLP) are optional

programmes under the Uphold Bahasa Malaysia and Strengthen the English Language

(Memartabatkan Bahasa Malaysia & Memperkukuhkan Bahasa Inggeris) policy that is

meant to improve students’ English proficiency. HIP aims to create a peer learning and

sharing environment within schools, between schools and with the community. Through

HIP, schools are provided with a toolkit comprising a self-assessment tool and a best

practices guidebook on how to improve the English proficiency of students through

increased language immersion and usage. Approximately 300 schools piloted the DLP in

2016. Through DLP, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

subjects were taught in English at qualified schools. It has been acknowledged that

English proficiency is critical in the 21st. century and in the face of the ASEAN Economic

Community (AEC) as well as the larger regional and global markets. Enhanced English

proficiency is a top priority for the Malaysian Government as English remains the global

business language as well as the scientific community internationally. A noted

phenomenon is that, students who possess high proficiency in English would find it easier

to secure employment, communicate with international business partners better, and have

greater access to knowledge and academic resources. Eventually, the Government hopes

that the HIP and the DLP would enable students to achieve due fluency in Bahasa

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Malaysia and English that in turn would enhance the value of our future human resources.

Until the next bulletin, have sustainable productivity days ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

40

e-SusP Talk 20/2017: Public Service Delivery as Exemplars of Excellence

Hello again! From “Building National Talent Capacity” in my recent bulletin, our

conversation this week focuses on Public Service Delivery as Exemplars of Excellence.

Public Service Delivery Transformation (PSDT) projects are rakyat-centric and process-

driven improvements that aim to yield big, fast results. The PSDT NKRA (National Key

Results Area) that began in late 2013 managed to complete 21 projects by end of 2015

with marked improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of public services for the

rakyat. The PSDT is crucial as the nation needs to continuously strengthen the delivery

of public services to the rakyat while addressing emerging needs resulting from Malaysia’s

transformation into a high-income economy. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were

instituted to enable the measurement of progress objectively. Efficiency improvements in

public service delivery aims to eliminate waste, save time and cost, and improve

government services to the rakyat. A noted achievement of the PSDT is the successful

implementation of the Healthcare PSDT as a pioneering initiative in 2014 at Hospital

Ampuan Rahimah and Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor. This success has encouraged the

Ministry of Health (MOH) to roll out the healthcare PSDT in all 133 Government hospitals

nationwide. A key PSDT NKRA of MOH was to improve work processes. This was carried

out by examining existing processes thoroughly and eliminating redundancies. In 2015,

the Emergency Department of 12 General Hospitals treated 44 percent more patients due

to improved patient flow that saved an estimated RM5.3million. The medical wards had

also increased their bed capacity by five percent through ward levelling and an improved

discharge process. Streamlined processes and tackled delays contributed to the more

efficient and effective use of resources, improved waiting times and expedited patient

flow. The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development reported another

positive outcome of PSDT. The “Bantuan Orang Tua” or BOT’s application to notification

waiting time reduced from 30 working days to one day! The BOT transformation project

enabled the application of senior citizens be processed and approved within just one day!

BOT provides RM300 per month to senior citizens age 60 and over who have no other

sources of income. The Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) Melaka piloted the BOT

transformation project. The initial objective was to reduce the 30 working days to five

working days. The pilot project achieved this target. This initiative also involved several

government agencies such as Institut Sosial Malaysia (ISM), Department of Women’s

Development (JPW), National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), NAM

Institute for the Empowerment of Women (NIEW), officers from the Ministry as well as the

Central Malacca District Social Welfare office (PKMDMT). Bottlenecks and their root

causes were identified and potential solutions brainstormed. Another positive outcome of

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the transformation project is; BOT applications will now be reviewed once every two years

upon which the continuation of the aid be either approved or rejected. The BOT

transformation pilot project yielded a saving of RM126,000 per annum and the increased

availability of 26 staff recording a saving of 14,976 man-hours per year or RM112,320 per

annum of lost productivity. So much for now, here’s wishing everyone sustainable

productivity days ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

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e-SusP Talk 21/2017: Effective Public Service Delivery through Continuous Innovation

Welcome to the 45th week of 2017. We have talked about Public Service Delivery as

Exemplars of Excellence. We will value-add our conversation on this subject by

highlighting the importance of continuous innovation for effective public service delivery.

In this bulletin, I will share three related stories; they are as follow:

1. Effective Use of Public Gyms

The Gym1Malaysia transformation project undertaken by the Ministry of Youth and

Sports (KBS) sought to transform both hard and soft infrastructures. Based on users’

feedback, KBS transformed the hard infrastructure of selected gyms’ physical

infrastructure by redesigning the site layout and equipment. Improved policies and

maintenance guidelines were the soft infrastructure transformation piloted at Kompleks

Rakan Muda Larut Matang and Selama in Taiping, Perak. The outcome: The piloted

gym recorded over six times the original number of visitors every month. Lesson learnt:

The need to listen to the rakyat to optimise effective delivery of public services.

2. Effective Data Management for Public Healthcare Services

The collaborative effort between MOSTI and MOH boosted services at dental and

health clinics. Both ministries developed a unified Teleprimary Care & Oral Health

Clinical Information System (TPC-OHCIS) application using MIMOS’ open innovation

platforms. The TPC-OHCIS eases patients’ registration and appointment processes,

enable patients’ personal and medical records be securely and privately shared across

all connected clinics and empower patients to self-monitor certain critical illnesses such

as hypertension and diabetics. During critical emergencies such as dengue outbreaks,

MOH could use the system for real time data mining and intelligence analysis. Average

administrative time per patient has improved 81 percent from 16 minutes to less than

three minutes. The TPC-OHCIS has also enabled MOH to gain cost savings as the

system uses local technology and is vendor-neutral.

3. Transferring Knowledge from Academia to Improve Peoples’ Lives

MOHE has initiated the Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP) with the aim to put

academic research ideas to work in the real world that could help solve pressing

national issues for the benefit of our Malaysian society. An example is the KTP-

Vermicomposting project that was initially piloted by the Malacca City Council (MBMB).

Worms were used to speed up the creation of compost (vermicomposting) from organic

waste (fruits and vegetables) collected from the Pasar Besar Wet Market at Melaka

Sentral. It was estimated that 70 percent of waste on average was converted to mature

compost in three rounds of harvesting. Each round lasted about a month. This method

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helps businesses to manage solid waste at source. Vermicomposting is more

convenient and cost-effective compared to bacterial composting as it produces little to

no odour, and the compost produced has higher fertiliser content. It is also a

sustainable activity since the worms reproduce themselves and there is no shortage

of inputs. We adjourn our e-SusP Talk here for now. Until the next bulletin, here’s

wishing everyone sustainable productivity days ahead! Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care,

inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

44

e-SusP Talk 22/2017: Aiming for World-class KL / Klang Valley

Welcome back! As we journey into the 47th week of 2017, it is time we took cognisance

we have come to that time of the year (again!) for year-end introspection and retrospection

of how we have been and would like to be in the coming year. Numerous transformations

have taken place in Malaysia since the nation embarked on the National Transformation

Programme (NTP) in 2010. The interesting question now is; have we also transformed for

the better in tandem with Malaysia – while acknowledging the fact we have an aging nation

and population? One noticeable national transformation that we have witnessed and

experienced especially for those who live in the Klang Valley is Kuala Lumpur (KL). NTP

has plans to transform KL into an excellent city through the Greater KL / Klang Valley (KV)

NKEA. One may enquire on the reason we putting so much focus on KL and Klang Valley.

The simple answer is that: KL / KV, being the country’s main growth centre, requires

comprehensive and sustainable development plan that can sufficiently address the

challenges of rapid urbanisation and enhance the competitiveness of our capital city. With

the on-going efforts to materialise our ASEAN and AEC plans, it became crucial we

enhance the liveability levels of all KL/KV citizens, making it an attractive hub for residence

as well as business and investment within the ASEAN region. Outcomes from the Greater

KL/KV NKEA have been encouraging as KL is acknowledged as the second most liveable

city in Southeast Asia after Singapore in Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)’s 2017 Global

Liveability Ranking reported on 17 August 2017. KL is also ranked 70th amongst 140 cities

surveyed. The city was ranked 73rd in the 2015 ranking of EIU. Five broad categories of

qualitative and quantitative factors used in the ranking are stability, healthcare, culture

and environment, education, and infrastructure. What gave KL the improved ranking were

the undertaken efforts such as improving quality of life, well-maintaining recreational parks

and providing better accessibility to amenities. The Greater KL metropolitan area

encompasses 10 municipalities including the city of KL itself. It is noted that both KL and

Selangor have a combined population of about 8 million that is about a quarter of the

country’s total population of 32.2 million residents. This, together with the businesses and

commercial activities concentration in city presents the crucial need to improve

connectivity on a large-scale. The country needs to avoid the possible problem of the city

coming to a grinding halt due to overcrowding and poor connectivity. With mounting high

cost of urban living, there is the pressing need to alleviate living pressures. Sustainable

solutions such as good recreational facilities within the city must be made available to

help improve long-term city liveability. Another on-going effort is the integrated urban

Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system that serves as a game-changer in the nation’s

continuous effort to increase mobility, productivity and quality of life. The MRT was

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proposed to ease congestion and provide commuters to the city centre with an efficient

and environmentally sustainable mode of transportation. The first phase of the MRT Line

1 (Sungai Buloh-Semantan) started operation towards the end of December 2016 while

the full line (Sungai Buloh-Kajang) was completed in July 2017. The line is integrated with

the existing KTM Commuter, LRT and ERL rail systems at various locations such as

Sungai Buloh, KL Sentral, Kajang, Pasar Seni and Maluri. Work on materialising MRT

Line 2 (Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya) is now underway. This will further transform the

public transportation network in Greater KL/KV. So much for now. As we bid adieu to

November 2017 soon, we must ensure we continuously have sustainable productivity in

everything that we do. Until the next bulletin in December 2017, Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

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e-SusP Talk 23/2017: Enhancing City Liveability and Sustainability

Hello again! As we journey towards the end of 2017, the feel is always the same: “Time

sure flies!” Does time really fly or is it that modern living has been so maddening that many

people did not realise that the world has passed them by! It is important that, in the midst

of our daily business, we take cognisance of our surrounding – to really live rather than

mere exist. Having said this, how many of us are aware of the transformations that have

taken place in Kuala Lumpur (KL) – our capital city. The initiatives of the Greater KL /

Klang Valley (KV) National Key Economic Area (NKEA) have adopted a holistic approach

towards urban development by factoring in environmental impact and the well-being of KL

residents to improve liveability. The NKEA also aims to put KL among the top economic

and liveable cities in the world by 2020. KL is expected to have a population of 10 million

people by 2020 from the 6 million in 2010. Therefore, the nation needs to put in place

comprehensive and sustainable development plan that can adequately address the

challenges of rapid urbanisation. Do you know that Kuala Lumpur has benchmarked

Singapore and Taipei for its transformation ideas? Through the KL/KV NKEA, Malaysia

embarked on its biggest infrastructure project – the construction of our very own Mass

Rapid Transit (MRT) system as we have noted how robust MRT has characterised

Singapore and Taipei. Besides, efforts have also been spent to revitalise iconic landmarks

in KL such as the Gombak and Klang Rivers that run through the city to increase

community interest in heritage sites. Three heritage sites have been developed since

2011. Heritage Trail 1 covers Masjid Negara, Jalan Hishammuddin, Dataran Merdeka and

ends at Medan Pasar. Heritage Trail 2 starts at the junction of Jalan Perak and Jalan

Melaka passing through Jalan Gereja and ends at Bukit Nenas. Heritage Trail 3 begins

from Medan Pasar covering Jalan Kasturi, Jalan Petaling and Lebuh Pudu. The bus stop

in front of Bangkok Bank has been closed and the area has now a café at the centre of

the square. On another note, Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index that benchmarks cities

according to the three dimensions of sustainability; namely, people, planet and profit had

ranked KL at 26 out of 50 cities in 2015. However, in its 2016 report, KL is positioned at

55 out of 100 world’s leading cities. Accordingly, in the 2016 report, KL is ranked at 53,

84 and 19 for the people, planet and profit dimensions respectively. These findings point

to the need for more efforts to improve our people and planet dimensions if we want to

enhance the city liveability level of KL. The people dimension measures social

performance including quality of life while the planet dimension captures “green” factors

such as energy, pollution and emissions. The profit dimension assesses business

environment and economic health. Singapore is the leading Asian city on city

sustainability. We certainly have much more to do to elevate the liveability status of KL.

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Arcadis advocates that to achieve balance for city development, cities must put people at

the heart of sustainability. Again, much food for thought and action! So much for now, until

we meet again for the last bulletin of 2017, have sustainable productivity days. Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!

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e-SusP Talk 24/2017: KL in the ASEAN region

Welcome back! We have talked about Greater Kuala Lumpur / Klang Valley (KL/KV) effort

in transforming the city as the strategic business and investment hub within the ASEAN

region. The report “Hotspots 2025: Benchmarking the Future Competitiveness of Cities”

by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) has indicated KL as the second most competitive

global city in Southeast Asia. With an increasingly mature support ecosystem, an efficient

cost structure and a large pool of high skill talent, Greater KL has emerged as a favourite

city among multinational companies. 51 MNCs have set up regional offices in Greater KL

since its inception in 2011 where 24 are Europeans, 16 are from the Americas and the

remaining 11 are from the Asia Pacific region. The MNCs are mainly from the following

sectors: engineering services, business services, oil and gas services, global

commodities trading and the supply chains of aerospace, logistics and industrial products

multinationals. Besides, Talent Corporation Malaysia (TalentCorp) has collaborated with

leading companies to address the issue of talent availability in key sectors driving

Malaysia’s economic growth. Some of the initiatives undertaken include enhancing the

employability of Malaysian graduates, engaging global Malaysians to return or contribute

from abroad, facilitating top foreign talent, particularly in areas of skill shortages and

optimising home-grown Malaysian professionals that promotes diversity and inclusion.

The World Bank in a June 2015 report noted that Malaysia’s Returning Expert Programme

(REP) has succeeded in attracting overseas Malaysians with the skills that Malaysia

needs. Another positive outcome noted is the 71.5 percent achievement of Malaysian

Expatriate Talent Service Centre (MYXpats Centre) by the Immigration Department and

TalentCorp in processing employment passes within its five-day client charter.

Additionally, in 2015, the Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T), an initiative by TalentCorp and

the Immigration Department, was assessed by the World Bank as an effective tool in

retaining top foreign talent in areas of skills gaps. Other initiatives to transform KL into an

excellent city include the High Speed Rail, the River of Life project, construction of the

Jinjang-Kepong Regional Sewage Treatment Plant and the beautification work packages

for the 10.7 km stretch along the Gombak and Klang Rivers that flow through KL. It is

envisioned that the said initiatives when implemented according to plan would yield the

expected deliverables (outcome) and that Greater KL / KV is well on track towards

achieving its world-class city aspirations by 2020. These are all for this year. Until we meet

again in the New Year, here’s wishing everyone Happy New Year 2018 and may we have

continuous sustainable productivity days. Remember Eight Billion Dreams (worldwide), 1Malaysia and pursue our national goals with care, inclusivity, productivity and sustainability!