Dato Richard Wee
KUCHING (July 29): All Sarawak wants is to be treated fairly when the nation embarks on achieving the objectives of the Madani Economy, said Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations (SFCA) president Dato Richard Wee.
“For Sarawak, we are just hoping that what has been due and allocated to Sarawak will be equally and efficiently distributed to Sarawak.”
“We just want a fair treatment for Sarawak as we are not requesting more than what is due to us,” he said when asked for his reaction to the ‘Madani Economy: Empowering the people’ framework launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The prime minister had aimed to cover a large area across the entire spectrum of the nation, Wee pointed out.
“And it is a tall order to fulfil the areas covered, though I do agree that all the areas mentioned strike a chord with the people. I hope that all the highlighted areas in the Madani Economy will be properly addressed by the government in order to bring the necessary benefit for the people of the nation.”
He said if all the points in the framework can be achieved, it will definitely augur well for the nation.
“I sincerely hope our prime minister and the government have the political will in fulfilling the pledges for the benefit of the country,” he said.
At the launch in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Anwar said the Madani Economy was aimed at boosting the Malaysian economy and that it would have revenue spillovers for the people to enable them to enjoy a better quality of life.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, pointed out that the initiative was a comprehensive plan for Malaysia to address various challenges and issues related to its competitiveness and investment attractions, as well as outlining actions to address current issues that affect people’s lives.
“It is about elevating the status and dignity of our nation, with two main focuses; restructuring the economy towards making Malaysia a leading Asian economy, and ultimately providing the people with the benefits to enjoy a better quality of life,” he said.
He said the initiative also sets seven key performance indicators as medium-term targets to be achieved within a period of 10 years.
These seven indicators are Malaysia being in the top 30 of the world’s largest economies; top 12 in the Global Competitiveness Index; labour income constitutes 45 per cent of total income; women participation in the labour force reaches 60 per cent; top 25 in Human Development Index; top 25 in Corruption Perception Index; and fiscal sustainability with a fiscal deficit of three per cent or lower.