By Alang Bendahara
SHAH ALAM, July 7 — The five-year First Selangor Plan (RS-1) is the first document of its kind that was developed as an initiative to fulfil the needs of the people in Selangor, says Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
The Menteri Besar said the plan aims to make Selangor a smart, liveable and prosperous state by 2025.
“As a caring government, the RS-1 places the people’s socio-economic needs as the state’s top priority by taking into account the economic development and restoration as well as environmental protection.
“No other state in Malaysia has attempted to combine ideas from all levels of society and industries into a plan that will serve as a manual for the administration of the state. This is the first time any state had accepted this challenge,” he said in his opening speech during First Selangor Plan Pre-Launch Symposium session at the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) Convention Centre, here today.
Amirudin said after going through four phases of planning and discussions to make the RS-1 a comprehensive and encompassing document, the symposium session would be the final engagement session before its tabling at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly on July 25.
“It has gone through several interviews and engagement sessions with stakeholders and people of interest from state and federal agencies, private sectors, academics, civil society and the general public, both in person and virtually.
“I’m hoping that this final session will be fruitful in coming out with comprehensive documentation that will not leave anyone behind in the state’s economic development,” he said.
The RS-1, according to Amirudin, comprises four main themes, which are namely economy, social, sustainability, and governance, as the guiding principles to achieve its target.
He said the economic theme aims to strengthen Selangor’s position as Malaysia and Southeast Asia’s primary economic hub and location for high-quality investment.
“Under this theme, Selangor’s economic growth is strengthened by creating high-impact investment opportunities through an investor-friendly or ‘business friendly’ approach. Having high-impact projects that act as a catalyst will open up more job opportunities and boost the post-pandemic economy.
“The social theme is to develop Selangor into the ideal place to live, emphasising people’s welfare and wellbeing in a more balanced and all-encompassing way. It will also centre on social development by giving the people of Selangor the chance to generate income by offering specialised social interventions to the underprivileged in the city and rural areas,” he said.
As for the third theme on sustainability, Amirudin said it intends to achieve sustainable development in Selangor by protecting and restoring the environment for future generations and making climate change a key component of state development.
He said the state government had also demonstrated its commitment to a low-carbon state by building green infrastructure and implementing more efficient and sustainable waste management.
“The theme of governance strives to transform the state civil service into a modern, visionary and people-centred organisation that supports economic growth.
“The state government will also emphasise SMART and people-centred governance to increase the state civil service’s responsiveness, productivity, and agility through the application of digital technology in delivering services,” he said.
Meanwhile, Amirudin said the purpose of RS-1 was not to demonstrate the state’s superiority over other states or its status as the largest contributor to the national economy.
“It is our effort to ensure that the state development is more thorough. RS-1 combines all the policies such as the Malaysia Plan and the Shared Prosperity Vision to create a more comprehensive plan for the state,” he said.
The Menteri Besar said the idea for the RS-1 came in April last year during a meeting with the Selangor State Executive Council and Selangor State Secretary on the need for a specific and comprehensive long-term strategy to aid in the economic recovery of the population and affected industries.
He added that RS-1 is also a continuation of the Clusterisation Policy, which he had introduced in the 2019 Selangor Budget.
“Clusterisation benefits the strength and distinctiveness of each district in Selangor while creating incentives for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs to thrive and promote collaboration between public and private sectors to compete in the region.”
