Malaysia’s policy-making too Klang Valley-centric, says researcher

 

APPGM-SDG assistant director Teo Lee Ken said communities must be engaged to address localised issues through targeted ‘solution projects’. (AP pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: 

A researcher today said Malaysia’s policy-making and implementation have been overly concentrated on the Klang Valley and Putrajaya, neglecting the needs of other regions.

Teo Lee Ken, assistant director of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG), also said some projects carried out outside the Klang Valley were unnecessary or ineffective.

This, he said, included the construction of a road in Sabah’s remote area where there was no significant activity or need.

(The projects) are just part of a key performance index (KPI) of a certain agency or ministry to implement something. They don’t connect to local needs,

 he said at the Regional Southeast Asia Human Dignity Conference 2024.

As such, Teo said there was a need for greater community engagement in addressing localised issues through 

solution projects

.

Many of the limitations and shortcomings arise from our approach to ensuring human dignity, which is very top-down and heavily focussed on the Klang Valley and Putrajaya,

 he said.

We dictate what people want and what people need, and I think that is a very dangerous approach and concept.

Concerns about unequal development in Malaysia have been voiced before.

In April, Warisan MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis called on the federal government to increase the annual development allocation for Sabah and Sarawak, due to the widening gap with the peninsula.

Meanwhile, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii criticised the RM5.8 billion allocation to Sarawak under the 2024 budget, arguing that it fell short of addressing the region’s development needs.

In March, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim urged for equitable attention and allocations for all 13 states of the federation.

Sultan Ibrahim said balanced development beyond Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya could reduce population migration to urban centres and improve the management of traffic congestion. - FMT