Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) has been carrying out numerous initiatives designed to enhance ease of doing business and create a highly conducive environment for businesses to prosper, subsequently propelling Malaysia’s competitiveness, productivity and socio-economic development.
As the secretariat of the Special Taskforce to Facilitate Business (PEMUDAH), for instance, the organisation has been working together with public and private sectors in pursuing regulatory reforms to reduce unnecessary regulations affecting businesses, and formulate policies that increase business efficiency.
One such effort is the implementation of MalaysiaMudah or #MyMudah since July 2020, following the decision to establish the programme during the Economic Action Council (EAC) meeting chaired by then Prime Minister Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin Haji Mohd Yassin.
#MyMudah’s initial aim is to alleviate the economic impact of COVID-19 and has now focused on supporting the nation’s economic recovery beyond the pandemic by collating and analysing feedback and concerns from industries.
Any regulatory problem experienced by businesses small and large whether during or even prior to the global health crisis can be submitted under the topic “MalaysiaMudah (#MyMudah) – Reducing Unnecessary Regulatory Burdens to Support Economic Growth” at the Unified Public Consultation (UPC) portal.
From there, MPC, together with PEMUDAH, will address these difficulties alongside relevant parties to formulate mitigating solutions – and pending evaluation and approval by the EAC – as a means to intensify regulatory facilitation that should benefit industries.
Through #MyMudah, the Malaysian Government strives to help companies and businesses by improving efficiency and confidence, as well as reducing the cost of doing business, simultaneously cutting down on bureaucracy so that both federal and state governments can enhance their functions and operations.
These in turn can then increase the country’s productivity and competitiveness, generate job opportunities, and ultimately spur economic progress.
Following the beginning of its implementation, #MyMudah has received and is analysing 559 issues as of February 2022. 24 per cent of which has been completed involving the cooperation between MPC and organisations such as:
- The Energy Commission, leading to a proposal to synchronise requirements in Electricity Regulations 1994 and Factories and Machinery Act 1967 to eliminate high voltage relay calibration and remove redundancy of inspections
- The Ministry of Housing and Local Government, leading to the relaxation of requirements to obtain temporary permit for Temporary Labour Quarters and more rapid approval for the Certificate of Completion and Compliance
- The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, leading to the relaxation of requirements for new applications and renewal of Tour Operating Business and Travel Agency Business licence
#MyMudah has also expanded to gather and tackle regulatory concerns from start-up companies, as part of MPC’s support to the Malaysian Government’s goal of creating at least 5,000 start-ups by 2025.
On 24 November 2021, the EAC agreed to set up #MyMudah units at business associations, ministries, government agencies, state governments and local authorities to make the business environment better via regulatory review so that industry players are not beset by high compliance costs.
Since then, MPC has been meeting with industry associations such as the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association on establishing a unit there, and has managed to set up one at the Malaysia Digital Chamber of Commerce.
The corporation has also held engagement sessions and briefings with all federal ministries in facilitating the formation of the #MyMudah Unit, including Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs and Ministry of Rural Development.
Moving ahead, MPC will be conducting these sessions with state governments and local authorities across Malaysia, and afterwards organising capacity building programmes to develop the competency of civil servants in implementing the #MyMudah initiative at their respective ministries, agencies and departments.
