KOTA KINABALU: A specific laboratory is to draw up within six weeks beginning February recommendations on how the government can tailor the National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) programmes to meet the needs of the Bumiputeras in Sarawak and Sabah.The Bumiputera laboratory will consider all the issues which confront the Bumiputeras in the two states, with the study being undertaken in Sabah, Sarawak and in the peninsula, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Chief Executive Officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) Senator Datuk Seri Idris Jala.
In this way, the federal and state agencies would collectively agree on and have one template, he told reporters after the launch of the two-day state-level Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Open Day, here yesterday.
The six NKRAs pertain to reducing crime, fighting corruption, widening access to quality and affordable education, raising the living standards of low-income households, improving infrastructure in rural areas, and improving urban public transportation.
Idris reportedly said in Kuching last weekend that Sarawak and Sabah would have their own development model with the setting up of a laboratory to make modifications to have the programmes implemented effectively in the two states.
The concept achieved more effective results when it was applied in the case of the Orang Asli community, he said.
“As I said before, the same goes for the bumiputeras as there are some specific peculiarities in Sarawak and Sabah and we must not ignore that. If we want to succeed in the implementation, we must tailor the programmes so that they meet the requirements there.
“We are fortunate to have a chief minister here in Sabah totally committed to the idea, and also a chief minister in Sarawak who recognises that it’s a good idea to do this,” he said.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman launched the GTP Open Day, which enables the public to learn of the NKRAs programmes.
Also present was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Pemandu board chairman Senator Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
Koh said the size of the bumiputera laboratory would be double the normal laboratory of 30 people, with about 20 senior officers each selected from Sabah, Sarawak and the peninsula.
Pemandu oversees the implementation and assesses the progress of the GTP initiatives, where over 2,000 projects and 100 programmes identified for the six NKRAs are being showcased to the public yesterday and today. — Bernama