By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Feb 25 — Selangor has attracted RM101 billion in investments in 2024, potentially generating over 80,000 new jobs in the state, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
In his winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly session today, he said the figure, recently released by the Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry (Miti), reflects Selangor’s strong economic position and its capacity to create high-income jobs.
Earlier today, Miti unveiled the top five states that have emerged as key investment destinations in the country are Selangor with RM101.1 billion in investment recorded last year, followed by Kuala Lumpur (RM91.5 billion), Johor (RM48.5 billion), Kedah (RM45.8 billion), and Penang (RM32.0 billion).
“This has far surpassed our target of RM55 billion in investments for 2024. If our initial projection of RM55 billion to RM66 billion could create 66,000 new jobs, then surely, with this achievement, the number could exceed 80,000 or even 90,000 jobs, the highest recorded under this Unity administration.
“So, when Hulu Kelang said the state’s per capita income is low, he failed to consider the broader economic developments in Selangor, including our low poverty rate,” Amirudin said, responding to Opposition leader and Hulu Kelang state assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s remarks during the session.
Azmin had claimed that Selangor’s gross domestic product per capita was lower than reported and that its organic economic growth constituted only 15 per cent, with the remainder heavily reliant on land-related transactions.
In response, the Menteri Besar dismissed his assessment as “distorted,” stating that land transactions are integral to the state’s economy.
“It is unfair for Hulu Kelang to separate the state’s economic growth from land-related transactions, as all business and investment activities inherently involve land,” he said.
Amirudin added that Selangor’s economic prosperity is also reflected in the state’s socio-economic indicators, with Ampang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, and Klang ranked as among the happiest cities in the country.
Earlier in his speech, he also corrected Azmin’s claims regarding the functioning of the Assembly, saying that the sitting days are not dependent on the composition of government or Opposition state assemblymen, as the House still consists of 56 seats.
While the Selangor State Legislative Assembly is gazetted to convene for a maximum of 30 days per year, the preparations and discussions leading up to each sitting extend over a period of up to three months.
Amirudin also criticised Azmin for repeatedly calling for full sittings instead of early adjournments, pointing out that Azmin had held shorter sittings when he was Menteri Besar (from September 2014 to June 2018).
“In 2014 and 2015, Hulu Kelang convened the sitting for 22 out of 30 days, 2016 for 17 days, and 2018 for 16 days.
“However, since 2022, we have convened for 22 days. There was a slight dip in 2023 due to the state elections, but in 2024, we returned to 22 days.
“It is also not fair to ambush any state executive councillors or myself, as we base our winding-up speeches on matters raised and debated during sitting days,” he said.
Azmin had previously argued that it was unfair to compare sitting days, as the state Opposition now represents the largest opposition block in Selangor’s history, with 21 seats against the government’s 35 seats.
He argued that the Opposition is now more active than under his administration when it consisted of only five seats in 2018.
