SUBANG JAYA, Dec 18 – Datuk Seri Idris Jala said today that the government was going out on a limb by making public the initiatives of its NKRAs, and should be judged by the end of next year on whether targets are met.
Datuk Seri Idris Jala given talk on the stage. – Pictures by Jack Ooi
“It’s like being fully pregnant; we cannot be carrying a baby inside for beyond nine months. You must deliver,” said the Minister in the prime minister’s department, while addressing the public at the National Key Results Areas exhibition at the Sunway Convention Centre today.
Idris, who is also the chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) Board, said the public will be able to see for themselves if the targets are met by the end of next year.
“We will be transparent and the public will be able to see what targets have been met and what were not from annual reports, which will be published,” he said, adding that no other government had undertaken such a massive transformation programme.
The NKRAs are access to quality and affordable education, crime prevention, reducing corruption, addressing poverty, upgrading infrastructure in the rural areas and improving public transportation
These are the areas which concern Malaysians, according to public perception surveys and media reports.
“We learned that people don’t want incremental changes. They want big results, fast,” said Idris, who added that the prime minister himself is “rock solid” behind this change.
“The prime minister himself is leading a weekly steering committee to remove the roadblocks to achieve the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).”
Abu Bakar Ahmad (right) of the Crime Lab briefing Lim Kit Siang and Datuk Seri Idris Jala.
Idris described the GTP as the engine to achieving Vision 2020, the year where Malaysia is targeting to become a fully developed country.
“We won’t get there without work and clear direction,” he said.
He said 240 civil servants, who have been working in eight labs, have been working hard to develop the initiatives.
“In just six weeks, they have rated 10,000 schools and we know which school is number 1 and which one is number 10,000,” Jala cited as an example.
They have also identified 44,000 hardcore poor people who are at the point of starvation, and these people were now getting aid from the government, he said.
“Poverty does not recognise skin colour or race.”
To tackle crime, the labs have identified 50 hotspots and additional policemen have been sent to these areas.
“For rural development, we know exactly which roads we intend to build now and which houses will get water and electricity,” he said.
Idris pointed out that his own village in Sarawak did not have electricity and added the matter was close to his heart.
To upgrade the transportation system, the government is planning to build another bus terminal in Gombak to alleviate congestion at the Pudu bus station.
Currently 1,000 buses go through Pudu daily while 40,000 cars pick up passengers from the stations.
He described Pudu as “hell on earth” and pointed out the new Gombak bus terminal could accommodate 500 buses.
However, he acknowledged the initiatives were not exhaustive and invited the public to share their views.
“We are all made by God to be beautifully imperfect, we don’t have all the wisdom and we welcome your feedback.”
(Source: The Malaysian Insider)
Sad to hear about Idris Jala's own village in Sarawak not having electricity. Why after 52 years of Merdeka, a simple thing as electricity cannot be provided to a village? If the quality of life of these villagers stays the same after the 53rd year of Merdeka, then Idris Jala had better kick himself in the butt and out of the Ministership for failing his own people.
"Religion teaches us to be tolerant, caring and respectful of the beliefs and practices of others. In our multi-racial society, we must constantly remind ourselves of the values that bind us together," he said in his speech at a Christmas reception organised by the Christian Federation of Malaysia at the St Thomas Church today.
