By Danial Dzulkifly
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 — Selangor’s ambitious and high-impact projects listed under its five-year development plan, the First Selangor Plan (RS-1), are a form of national service aimed at helping the country reclaim its Asian Tiger status.
State executive councillor for investment, trade and mobility Ng Sze Han said among RS-1’s main focuses is to create a more complete ecosystem for key industries such as automotive, logistics, semiconductor and aviation and aerospace.
“These are all high-impact industries which have a massive positive impact on the economy and are able to provide high-paying salaries to our people.
“These projects and development plans are a form of national service as we are on track to contribute more to the national economy and subsequently help Malaysia achieve the Asian Tiger status,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Bicara Bersama MB dialogue at DoubleTree by Hilton here today.
Ng was representing Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, who was accompanying Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on a working visit to Russia.
Malaysia was considered one of the Asian Tigers, a term used to describe high-growth economies in Asia, during the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, its status began to wane in the late 1990s, exacerbated by the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
Ng said Selangor is determined to provide more high-impact jobs in complex industries as it is a more effective means to combat inflation rather than depending on broad subsidies.
“By providing better-paying jobs, we can help people climb up the socio-economic ladder apart from helping the needy with targeted subsidies. This is a more effective approach,” he said.
The Kinrara assemblyman expressed hope that the engagement session today, attended by potential investors, financial and data analysts, and fund managers, would provide much insight towards the state’s overall economic plan.
[caption id="attachment_362694" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari (second from right) listens to a briefing on the First Selangor Plan's initiatives, during the launch of its Mid-Term Review at the State Secretariat Building in Shah Alam, on July 4, 2024. — Picture by REMY ARIFIN/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
Also present at the dialogue session today was Bank Islam group chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Muazzam Mohamed.
Earlier during his presentation, Ng said the Selangor government is looking towards numerous requests from major industry players to set up hyperscale data centres in the state.
However, he said the state is awaiting proper guidelines from the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry on the establishment of data centres in the country, expected to be launched in the next few months.
“This is because there are many questions on the feasibility of building more data centres, which have much higher energy and water requirements. There is also a need to see its economic impact in terms of employment.
“But overall, I have confidence that the state has enough local players and vendors that can support these centres.”
Similarly, in the semiconductor industry, Ng said Selangor is pushing hard to establish more integrated circuit design firms in the state compared to solely attracting chip manufacturers.
He said the state does not want to compete with Penang or Kedah, which already have an extensive history in chip manufacturing, but rather complete the entire chip ecosystem in the country, effectively making Malaysia a more attractive destination for investments.
Ng also revealed that game-changing economic projects under RS-1 will be included in the second version of the plan, which will be announced in the fourth quarter of 2025 or the first quarter of 2026.
“Surely, all major economic development zones and projects will be included in RS-2, as these projects will take beyond five years to materialise,” he said.
