PARLIAMENT | The government is drawing up new directions for the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) which will be tabled in Parliament in October.

Minister of Economic Affairs Azmin Ali said the new direction of the development plan would include the implementation of new policies and existing ones that were improved in line with the current economic needs.

He said this in a written reply when responding to a question from Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (BN-Tanah Merah), who wanted to know the type of programmes to be implemented to upgrade the living standard of the Malays as stated by the prime minister previously.

“Policies and programmes to raise the dignity and strengthen the socio-economic status of the Malays and bumiputera will be continued to empower these target groups.

“But as a government that cares for the people, the economic distribution must be done fairly to all the people according to their respective needs in safeguarding their rights as enshrined in the Constitution,” he told the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.

Azmin said in the government’s move to review key national policies, including the New Economic Policy and New Economic Model, the socio-economic development of the Malays and bumiputera would remain a government agenda.

As such, he said the various new and existing policies were under review and would be enhanced based on the current needs and global economic challenges as well as taking into account the promises in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto.

He said this was to ensure that a more sustainable socio-economic development agenda for the Malays and bumiputera could be created, thus raising their economic capacity to be more competitive.

The government was also committed to continuing efforts to improve the socio-economic status of other Malaysians, he added.

11MP is the final five-year development plan (2016-2020) towards realising the goal of Vision 2020.

- Bernama