UMNO-PAS PACT THE PERFECT EXCUSE FOR MAHATHIR & AZMIN TO LAUNCH NEP 3.0 TO CURRY MALAY SUPPORT? SURE, DR M – GAP BETWEEN THE RICH ESPECIALLY RICH MALAYS & POOR MALAYS IS WORSENING – BUT WHOSE FAILED POLICIES OTHER THAN YOUR OWN TO BLAME FOR THAT!

BRIDGING income disparity will be the core focus of the Shared Prosperity Vision 2021-2030, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“We (the cabinet) agree in consensus that there is a disparity in this country. There are states that are rich and there are some that are poor,”   Dr Mahathir said in a press conference after chairing a special cabinet meeting in Putrajaya today.

The focus will be on increasing incomes in poorer states, such as Kelantan, Perlis and Kedah, he added.

Besides the disparity between states, the vision will also address income gaps between urban and rural areas as well as between the affluent and underprivileged.

Citing the earnings of a C-suite executive and their subordinates as an example, Dr Mahathir said the telling income gap between the rich and the poor should be given serious thought.

A C-suite executive is a high-ranking executive of a company in charge of making company-wide decisions. Usually, the term refers to a chief executive officer.

“An executive in the company has an annual income of RM2 to RM3 million, whereas the take-home salary of an ordinary staff is far from that,” he said.

“We need to increase their income but not just by increasing their salary but also by increasing productivity.”

Dr Mahathir said the vision, which will be a core pillar in the 12th and 13th Malaysia Plan, will also place emphasis on skills development programmes, such as the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

He added that the TVET would be prioritised to boost Malaysia’s skilled workforce.

On funding for the initiative, Dr Mahathir said the government would cut corners in non-priority areas to increase the budget for the vision deemed priority areas.

He said that the Shared Prosperity Vision does not mean that everyone will become billionaires, but was aimed at building opportunities for the people to be as prosperous as they could within their income levels.

The Shared Prosperity Vision has been approved in principle by the cabinet.

A working paper will be tabled to the cabinet soon, Dr Mahathir added.

Meanwhile, Economics Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said the elements of the Shared Prosperity Vision would be included in Budget 2020, although it would only come into play in the 12th and 13th Malaysia Plan.

He added allocations for priority areas of the vision would be decided by the Finance Ministry.

– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com

PAS-Umno pact poses credible threat to PH

KUALA LUMPUR – A pact between Malaysia’s biggest opposition parties is set to pose a key challenge to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s multiracial coalition that has sought to win support from the Malay Muslim majority.

Umno, the largest party in the coalition that ruled the country for six decades before being ousted last year, and PAS signed a unity charter to formalise their alliance today.

Combined, they hold a quarter of the seats in parliament, while Mahathir’s coalition holds more than half.

The PAS-Umno pact is likely to result in a formal coalition before the next vote due by 2023 and pose a “credible threat” to the government, said Ahmad Martadha Mohamed, an associate professor at Universiti Utara Malaysia.

“In fact, in the coming months, we could see the government roll out more policies to improve the livelihood of the Malays to get their support,” he said.

The ruling Pakatan Harapan rose to power last May promising to crack down on corruption and move away from race-based policies.

Discontent over former leader Najib Razak’s alleged role in the 1MDB scandal led enough Malaysians to vote for Mahathir.

Now the coalition needs to shore up enough support from ethnic Malays who account for 70% of the population.

“The danger is that the government may roll back on crucial political reforms or totally abandon its progressive ideas for the sake of appeasing the majority,” said Adib Zalkapli, a director at BowerGroupAsia’s Malaysia office.

“On the other hand, the PAS-Umno alliance is undermining the multiracial Barisan Nasional so this may make it difficult for BN to recover. It’s a big risk that they are taking.”

Still, an alliance between PAS and Umno that develops into an electoral coalition may lead to Malaysia becoming a two-party system with solid checks and balances, Ahmad Martadha said.

“It could be a sign of the maturation of Malaysia’s politics.”

– FMT