By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Feb 9 — Genuine unity among diverse communities is an important foundation towards achieving the country’s economic potential and improving the welfare of its people, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
In his Chinese New Year address today, Amirudin said the return of the year of the Wood Dragon in 2024, following a 60-year absence, reflects the symbolism of the Chinese Zodiac to the current stability in the country under the Unity Government.
The Wood Dragon, characterised by attributes of integrity, stability, loyalty, and honesty, is revered as a representation of strength, wisdom, and prosperity in Chinese culture.
“The symbolism is timely, where our nation is witnessing heightened strength and stability, serving as the foundation for the prosperity of the people and the nation.
“The genuine Unity Government, unlike others that are simply talk, has proven to uplift the economic potential of the state and the country to improve the people’s quality of life,” he said in a statement today.
As he enters his second term as the Menteri Besar following the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional victory in the Selangor state election in August last year, Amirudin reiterated the state administration’s priority to execute the plans introduced from his previous term, such as the five-year First Selangor Plan (RS-1) blueprint.
“A key focus in Selangor is to position the state as a major investment hub, not only within Malaysia but also across Southeast Asia.
“Selangor will also focus on emerging industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise the manufacturing sector, especially those that are transitioning to automation, drone manufacturing industry, and high-tech industries, such as digitalisation and microchip technology,” he said.
Amirudin also highlighted the upcoming tabling of the RS-1 mid-term review, which would also include the need to continuously improve the quality of services provided at the local authority level.
Vowing that the state would not only focus on new infrastructural developments but also the quality of maintenance for existing infrastructure, Amirudin said the state government would also continue its commitment to delivering its welfare initiatives, such as expanding its free tuition programme to include over 100,000 students and increasing the Jom Shopping Celebration vouchers to RM200 from RM100.
“A total of 82,400 recipients are anticipated to benefit from the initiative during this year’s major festivities, such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Deepavali, and Chinese New Year.
“With that, I would like to extend my prayers for the health and prosperity of all and wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year,” said Amirudin.
