By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Aug 5 – Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari has stressed that the current Selangor administration’s mission is to maintain and improve the state’s high-income status.
Following World Bank Malaysia’s recent categorisation of Selangor as one of the country’s five high-income states, Amirudin said the focus is now on reducing the gap between haves and have-nots.
“This aligns with our five main campaign promises to establish Selangor as a high-income state by offering high-impact jobs. Our mission now is to narrow the divide between lower- and higher-income individuals,” he said.
“We can approach this in several ways: either by levelling the playing field or by empowering people. I prefer to empower the people,” he said, adding that the state has implemented a targeted approach rather than broad subsidies or handouts.
Amirudin said this during his monthly address to state civil servants, coinciding with Merdeka month celebrations, at Dewan Jubli Perak here today.
On July 31, World Bank Malaysia lead economist Apurva Sanghi announced Selangor had surpassed the high-income threshold of US$14,000 (RM64,491), achieving a gross national income (GNI) per state capita of US$14,291.
The other four states that crossed this threshold are Kuala Lumpur (US$29,967), Labuan (US$19,117), Penang (US$16,600), and Sarawak (US$16,560).
[caption id="attachment_366894" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Selangor civil servants wave the Jalur Gemilang in conjunction with Merdeka month celebrations at Dewan Jubli Perak, Shah Alam, on August 5, 2024, after Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari’s monthly address to state civil servants. — Picture by REMY ARIFIN/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
Amirudin also said the country is on track for economic recovery, with recent statistics showing the federal government’s policies and initiatives are beginning to yield dividends.
He noted strong activity on Bursa Malaysia in the last three weeks and the strengthening of the ringgit in recent days, with it having appreciated to 4.4930/4.5010 against the United States dollar this morning from last Friday’s close of 4.4945/4.4995.
“These are among the signs the federal government’s policies, with its theme of stability as the foundation for effective governance, as well as good economic policies, have shown positive results.
“I believe this aligns with the aspirations of the government today, as they set the theme of this year’s Merdeka celebrations as ‘Malaysia Madani: Jiwa Merdeka’. This serves as a basis to remember the struggles of the government and its multicultural people, who have evolved despite facing numerous economic and political challenges since independence,” he said.
Amirudin also recalled challenges faced by the state administration in navigating the pandemic, and its numerous stimulus packages and initiatives to empower the people.
Among the initiatives he highlighted was the Iltizam Selangor Sihat programme, as well as the development of a robust state health infrastructure. These efforts have contributed to an increase in Selangor citizens’ life expectancy, at an average of 78 years, according to recent data from the Statistics Department.
Similarly, Amirudin reiterated the state’s success in contributing 25.9 per cent to the national economy last year, with its economic size reaching RM406 billion. This made Selangor the first state in the nation to achieve such a significant annual contribution.
He also said the state has achieved RM12 billion in investment in the first quarter of 2024, and will meet its RM45 billion target for the year.
“I believe with all the projects in the pipeline, we will achieve the RM45 billion investment target for the year,’’ he said.
