Selangor Journal L SEPTEMBER 2020
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Sultan calls for firm New digital platforms Practising fairness in More to Morib than Exciting proposals action to woo investors the Dewan meets the eye for Budget 2021 5 7 11 14 8&9 FREE SEPTEMBER 2020 EDITION www.selangorjournal.my SELANGOR Budget THE Selangor government is all set for an economic rebound after months of finan- cial slump following the Covid-19 outbreak. Formulating programmes and initiatives for all that promise to leave no one behind, Men- teri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari says now is the time for the state to forge ahead as the nation’s economic reactor. The state administration recently organ- ised the 2021 Selangor Budget Dialogue, bringing together a team of stakeholders and experts to share their views for a bet- ter future. Details of the dialogue will act as a blueprint for the state’s upcom- MORE ON ing budget. PAGES 2to4 2 NEWS Selangor Journal l SEPTEMBER 2020 Grow and support local talent, says expert BY IDA NADIRAH IBRAHIM, SHERILYN PANG, AFIX REDZUAN, KHAIRUL AZRAN HUSSIN, NADIAH ZAMLUS, NORRASYIDAH ARSHAD, ZAREEF MUZAMMIL & ALIFF FIKRI PHOTO BY HAFIZ OTHMAN & FIKRI YUSOF SHAH ALAM - Malaysia, particularly Se- langor, has to focus on producing a quality talent pool to be able to compete globally. Founder and group chief executive of- ficer of Aerodyne Group, Kamarul A, said this should be one of the medium-to-long term solutions in new wealth creation for the country, especially in adapting to the new digital economy. He said Malaysia should also shift from being a traditionally technology-consum- ing country to a technology-producing nation. “The economy today is slowly being replaced with the new digital economy Two lecturers handling a compact, high-speed robotic arm at the Technical Skill Initiative and Iktisas Smart Selangor Exhi- … we need to start focusing on changing bition held at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre on March 24 from being a tech-consuming nation to a tech-producing nation. has already initiated several programmes “This is the part where we have no will displace some jobs but we can repur- “What do we need? Talent. But having to push entrepreneurs forward. shortage of capabilities … we can look pose and retrain the talent. talent alone is still not enough. We need “So what if the technology is 20 per into improving from the way we manage “Technology can not only improve in quality talent that would enable us to cent inferior to what you get if you were the state, the way we do monitoring of this area, but we can retrain this talent compete globally. If we want to be a glob- to import it? Let it be, support the local state assets, the way we get the full value so they can fill the requirement of jobs in al tech producer we need global-class tal- companies so they can grow and with of state assets, not just through commu- the future,” he added. ents. This remains as one of the biggest the investments, they can compete on a nication but also using technology to al- The one-day 2021 Selangor Budget challenges,” he said during the wealth global scale,” he said. low us to improve this efficiency.” Dialogue, which serves to gather input creation session at the 2021 Selangor Commenting on short-term and im- Kamarul cited the water crisis as an from the grassroots and industry players Budget Dialogue, held at the Setia City mediate wealth creation, Kamarul said example in which the state government of the state ahead of the state’s budget Convention Centre, here on Sept 7. Selangor could focus on improving and can utilise the use of robotics, such as announcement, covered five syndicates Kamarul said sufficient funding is re- increasing efficiency. drones, to conduct constant surveillance, — agriculture, tourism and agro-tourism; quired for such an initiative and support He said this could be carried out using which he said would be more cost-effi- public health, housing and urban live- from the local entrepreneurs is crucial readily available technologies, such as cient. ability; microentrepreneurs, digitalisa- even if the local technology is not at par the Internet of Things and the next level “When we do this, the cost is lower tion and urban poverty; wealth creation; with other countries. Selangor, he added, of digital transformation. than using the traditional method. This and the creative industry. Delve deeper into the data: MCMC ex-chairman SHAH ALAM - The role of the state gov- ernment can prepare the channels for need to break down to get to the gran- vate-and-public sector collaboration is ernment can be expanded and be more aid supply not just for funding but also ular details.” key towards ensuring that data integra- detailed, says the former chairman of the to provide bank assistance for capital fi- Ishsal said the state government should tion can be used to develop a clear path Malaysian Communications and Multime- nancing,” said Ishsal during a dialogue be able to tabulate the needed data to de- for the state. dia Commission (MCMC), Al-Ishsal Ishak. session to discuss the 2021 Selangor velop solutions and remove challenges “For instance, obtaining a grant with He said the state administration Budget. that exist in the procedures at the local au- the state government, does that involve should prioritise in pinpointing the in- “In this Covid-19 pandemic era, the thority and state agency levels. data sharing? Grab (Malaysia) may re- dustries whose growth they want to stim- role of the state government must be- “At the state level, the local authorities quire information from the government ulate in order to carry out adequate ef- come more detailed. For instance, man- and agencies can get hold of details such and vice-versa. This is an example of col- forts as soon as possible. ufacturing (sector) forms 22 per cent of as household incomes and so on. Only laboration between the private sector “In terms of its planning efforts, the the national GDP. In this sector, 98 per with this can you then generate the right and the (state) government, which is im- state government should prioritise which cent are SMEs. The listed ones comprise information or extract the resistance portant. sectors they want to stimulate first for only 174 companies but SMEs comprise from the process because ultimately, it “Above all, the objectives and the focus growth. For instance, the development over a million of them. We need to go is the process with the (Federal) govern- need to be clear and that is what the Se- of the F&B sector among the micro-en- deeper. ment that delays things,” he said. langor budget needs to look into,” Ishsal terprises has shown how the state gov- “These are very macro data that we Additionally, Ishsal said pri- noted. Selangor Journal l SEPTEMBER 2020 NEWS 3 Budget to focus on creative economy, agriculture, tourism SHAH ALAM - Selangor will continue to cast its attention on wealth creation through the cre- ative economy, agriculture and tourism sec- tors, says Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari. He said these are some of the top sectors which would be highlighted in the upcoming Belanjawan Selangor 2021 (2021 Selangor Bud- get). “We will focus on the creative economy sec- tor and of course, on agriculture and tourism post-pandemic. “We need to figure out how to embrace and empower these sectors to benefit the econo- my of Selangor and its people,” Amirudin told reporters when met after the opening of the 2021 Selangor Budget Dialogue at the Setia City Convention Centre, here on Sept 7. Amirudin delivers his keynote address at the 2021 Selangor Budget Dialogue Meanwhile, Amirudin said the Federal gov- ernment should consider the state’s signifi- cance in the upcoming national 2021 Budget, which is expected to be tabled in November. “Selangor is a very important state. We have Smart state vision not contributed to almost a quarter of the nation- al gross development product (GDP). We hope they will take notice of the many things we have to do (because) we have many plans in place.” Citing the state government’s initiatives in just a pipe dream digitalisation efforts and establishing Selangor as the premier and regional Smart State in Ase- SHAH ALAM - Selangor’s vision to become a smart state He said Selangor has been known for its rapid eco- an by 2025, Amirudin said Selangor should not in the Asean region by 2025 is not an aspiration that is nomic development since the 1980s through the expan- be left out in the national budget. merely on paper or to only churn out big numbers. sion of various industries as well as the main contributor “I hope they don’t leave out Selangor as one Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the goal to the national gross domestic income (GDP). of the important states in Malaysia to be assist- has to be achieved in order for the state to become a However, he said the framework of the state’s devel- ed in terms of our infrastructure development livable city that remains competitive and sustainable for opment has to ensure that the livelihood of the people and so on,” he noted. the wellbeing of the people. run simultaneously with the progress achieved, includ- The one-day 2021 Selangor Budget Dialogue “The upcoming state budget will address various mat- ing in dealing with health issues such as the Covid-19 had covered five syndicates — agriculture, ters including the creative industry, health, security as outbreak. tourism and agro-tourism; public health, hous- well as agriculture, and we will set the direction,” said “Other findings from the budget dialogue sessions, ing and urban liveability; microentrepreneurs, Amirudin during the wrap-up of the 2021 Selangor Bud- such as agriculture, tourism, entrepreneurship and wel- digitalisation and urban poverty; wealth cre- get Dialogue at the Setia City Convention Centre, here fare, should also be given attention in order to plan out ation; and the creative industry.