10TH MALAYSIA PLAN TO ENSURE ECONOMY BACK ON VISION 2020 TRACK

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- The 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) will ensure
the country is back on the right track to achieving Vision 2020, Minister in the
Prime Minister's Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop says.

He said this would involve developing infrastructures to draw more investors
and to fund projects that could bring multiple effects on the country and the
economy.

In this respect, the main thrust would be to ensure the private sector
become the engine of growth, he told Bernama after breaking fast with the staff
of Prime Minister's Department's Public Private Partnership Unit here Thursday.

"The 10MP is a crucial document that will take our country toward realising
the vision of becoming a developed country 10 years from now," he said.

Nor Mohamed said that under the 10MP, the government would introduce
measures to make Malaysia a developed country despite the economic slowdown and
recession.

The private sector's involvement would be intensified in developing new
sources of growth to achieve global command in high potential industries, he
said.

"Efforts to integrate the country's economy with the global market through
free trade agreements need to be implemented strategically without undermining
national interests," he said.

He said that among the early measures would be to ensure domestic industries
are ready to compete, and strategies would be drawn up so that the private
sector would be able to make full use of the market openness.

To attain developed country status, Nor Mohamed said, the government needed
to ensure the economy grow at least 5.5 per cent although some people had
expected the figure to be slightly higher at six per cent or more.

"We are sure and we believe that we can reach the growth target," he said.

Nor Mohamed said the process to prepare the 10MP document began two years
early before its implementation starting 2011 compared to the 9MP whose process
began one year before it was implemented.

"We have started it to give enough time for the people, members of
Parliament, state governments and the industry to give feedbacks so that we can
prepare a perfect and complete master plan," he said.

He said the government would not stop listening to the people to strengthen
the 10MP document escpecially in matters regarding social aspects such as
education, poverty eradication, housing and security.

"The government will do whatever is necessary to enable the private sector
take its place as the engine of growth; not necessarily through liberalisaton
but more importantly to be more investor-friendly," said Nor Mohamed.
-- BERNAMA