KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — The government will discuss the current state of the national economic development at the next National Economic Action Council (MTEN) meeting on Monday (July 10).
Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli said that would be the right forum and platform to manage and discuss various matters including the foreign exchange, monetary policy, exports, imports, and gross domestic product data.
“I do not want to make a snapshot response (on economic issues) just because the media asked. We will discuss and go through them bit by bit, the day-to-day economic issues, economic performance, structural, and policy issues.
“Every ministry and Bank Negara Malaysia will have their own views and it is best that we go through that motion behind closed doors,” he told reporters after the launch of Innovathon, a reality competition television show based on economy, technology, and innovation, to showcase the skills and innovative ideas among Malaysians.
Rafizi added he prefers to take a mid- and long-term view and focus on rolling out key reforms that the country needs such as the energy transition reform that is on track.
“As we speak, we know the market is responding to this, and more and more public-listed companies in Malaysia are going for go-green initiatives. We hope the market will self-correct and begin to reflect likewise.
“When we are able to maintain the right balance between growth and inflation, we hope the market will respond and our currency will reflect that (accordingly),” he said.
At the event, the minister said the Innovathon reality show is a mission to encourage innovation while incorporating the entertainment element to the audience.
The show, a partnership between the Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) and Astro, garnered a total of 1,033 entries from participants across the country, with some as young as seven years old and the oldest aged 73.
Out of this, 56 ideas were chosen from auditions to compete in the eight-episode show, empowering their microeconomic skills and providing them with a competitive platform to develop their ideas.
Each episode will feature eight contestants competing against each other but only one or two with the best ideas will be selected to advance to the Final Stage.
With the goal of winning investments worth up to RM1 million, the contestants would introduce and present their ideas in front of 100 potential consumers in each episode.
Innovathon will air every Saturday starting July 15, at 9pm on Astro Ria (Channel 104).
— Bernama
