The seventh National Key Results Area (NKRA) was announced by the Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Sri Mohammad Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak on July 27, to tackle the rising cost of living; to ease the public’s burden.
In 2010, the Government Transformation Programme (GTP), a bold programme aimed to transform the way Government worked was revealed.
The GTP focused on the quick delivery of tangible results that can be felt and experienced by all Malaysians.
The two main features of the GTP are, People First – centred on the priorities that matter most to the rakyat; and Performance Now – creating fundamental changes nationwide to deliver impactful results fast.
It is a broad-based initiative transformation into a developed, high-income, progressive and harmonious nation as projected for Vision 2020.
To achieve this, six NKRAs were selected as the priority focus points based on the various surveys, opinion polls and dialogues conducted with the rakyat.
The NKRAs show a combination of short-term priorities to address urgent demands from the rakyat and equally important long-term issues affecting the public that require immediate attention.
The six NKRAs are:
1. Reducing crime rate
2. Fighting corruption
3. Improving the education system to produce quality student outcomes
4. Raising the living standards of low-income households
5. Improving basic infrastructure in rural areas
6. Improving urban public transport
The entire GTP initiative is led by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. They are supported by the Chief Secretary to the Government and the civil service.
And it is driven by the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) established within the Prime Minister’s Department.
During the announcement of the seventh NKRA, the Prime Minister explained that when the first six NKRAs were introduced two years ago: “there was no global phenomenon of rising food costs, but now, it has impacted Malaysians, and the Government feels that we should determine the type of response to help ease the people’s burden.”
The Prime Minister said the latest NKRA will not only cover food items but also other necessities. The Government will look at the supply chain and find out what can be done to liberalise it to allow for more food imports.
“We could also open up unused empty fields for food production”, said the Prime Minister, adding that existing efforts will continue, such as price controls on certain goods and subsidy system for many essentials items.
Initiatives like the ‘1Malaysia Clinic’ (community clinics that are strategically located in housing areas to provide immediate healthcare with affordable prices) and ‘1Malaysia Shop’ (sundry shops designed to help bring down the price of goods and ease the burden of the common people) would also be expanded.
In structuring the seventh NKRA, the Prime Minister explained: “PEMANDU’s expertise will be utilised to help the various agencies and ministries involved in items, food items or services concerning the public. It will also be involved in organising labs with the ministries.”
PEMANDU is currently running workshops for building on existing initiatives and work done to date.
They will also ensure that the Government delivers robust initiatives, which are viable and can deliver the intended benefits to the public, without compromising the Government’s long-term fiscal position.
Outcome of the workshops will be presented to the Cabinet and syndicated with key stakeholders. Once the findings with their appropriate implementation programmes are approved, the Prime Minister will make the announcement to all.
