Highlights of the 10th Malaysia Plan (15 June 2010)

Following are the highlights of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's speech when tabling the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP) at the Dewan Rakyat:

* Theme: Towards Economic Prosperity and Social Justice
* The 10MP (2011-2015) is critical for the continuation of the national agenda to realise Vision 2020
* RM20 billion facilitation fund to be set up for public private projects.
* Electricity sector will be made more competitive, subsidies to be removed gradully
* Malaysia has earmarked plans to develop the Malaysian Rubber Board’s land in Sungai Buloh at an estimated cost of RM10 billion.The land covers an area of 3,300 acres, he said in his speech.
* Petroliam Nasional Bhd, Malaysia’s state oil company, plans to build a RM3 billion liquefied natural gas regasification plant in Melaka, south of Kuala Lumpur
* Malaysia has identified 52 high-impact projects worth RM63 billion to implement. They include seven highway projects at an estimated cost of RM19 billion. The government also plans two coal electricity  generation plants at a cost of RM7 billion.
* 10MP targets the gross national income per capita to increase to RM38,850 (US$12,140) in 2015; requires the GDP to grow at 6 per cent per annum.
* Growth will be led by the services and manufacturing sectors, revitalising the agricultural sector towards higher value added as well as the adoption of ICT, biotechnology and other relevant technologies.
* The key challenge is to stimulate private sector investments to grow at 12.8 per cent or RM115 billion per annum.
* Government committed to reducing the fiscal deficit from 5.3 per cent of the GDP in 2010 to less than 3 per cent per annum in 2015.

10MP: 10 main premises
First :            Internally driven, externally aware
Second :       Leveraging on our diversity internationally
Third :          Transforming to a high-income nation through specialisation
Fourth :        Unleashing productivity-led growth and innovation
Fifth :            Nurturing, attracting and retaining top talent
Sixth :           Ensuring equality of opportunities and safeguarding the vulnerable
Seventh:       Concentrated growth, inclusive development
Eighth :         Supporting effective and smart partnerships
Ninth :          Valuing our environmental endowments
Tenth :          Government as a competitive corporation

10MP-Five Strategic Thrusts
First:          Designing government philosophy and approach to transform Malaysia using NKRA methodology
Second:     Creating a conducive environment for unleashing economic growth
Third:         Moving towards inclusive socio-economic development
Fourth:       Developing and retaining a first-world talent base and
Fifth:          Building an environment that enhances quality of life

* 10MP allocation for non-physical infrastructure to be increased to 40 per cent compared with 21.8 per cent under the 9MP, focus to be given to skills development programs, R&D activities and venture capital funding

* A world-class civil service college will be established to raise the competency of civil servants

* Focus on 12 national key economic areas of NKEAs to be announced in October
(i) Oil and gas
(ii) Palm oil and related products
(iii) Financial services
(iv) Wholesale and retail
(v) Tourism
(vi) Information and communication technology (ICT)
(vii) Education services
(viii) Electric and electronic
(ix) Business services
(x) Private healthcare
(xi) Agriculture
(xii) Greater Kuala Lumpur

* A special unit, the Economic Transformation Unit, will be established to plan and coordinate the implementation and development of the NKEAs.

* A Competition Commission and Appeal Tribunal will be established to ensure more orderly and effective implementation of the law.

* The government will continue to strive to place Malaysia among the top five most competitive countries in the world.

* A Facilitation Fund of RM20 billion will be provided to help the private sector to finance public-private partnership projects.

* Through the Facilitation Fund, the government expects to attract private sector investments worth at least RM200 billion. Among the projects that are being considered are land reclamation in Westport in Port Klang, Malaysia Truly Asia Centre in Kuala Lumpur and Senai High Technology Park in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor.

* A special unit under the Prime Minister''s Department will be set up to set the direction and drive the National Innovation System and innovation policies and strategies.

* Government financing for public venture capital companies will be in the form of equity and not loans.

* A Mudharabah Innovation Fund (MIF)with an allocation of RM500 million will be introduced to provide risk capital to government venture capital companies.

* A Business Growth Fund with an initial allocation of RM150 million will be set up to bridge the financing gap between the early stage of commercialisation and venture capital financing for high tech products.

* The bankruptcy laws will be simplified to support a risk-taking culture, eliminate the stigma of failure and allow high calibre and credible entrepreneurs who fail to become active again.

* High speed broadband project to cover major towns, priority economic growth areas and industrial areas, broadband coverage for suburban and rural areas broadband service for the rural population through wireless infrastructure offering a variety of affordable packages

* East Coast Expressway from Kuantan to Kuala Terengganu to be completed in the plan period at a total cost of RM3.7 billion and to be linked to the Kuantan Port which will be upgraded

* The electrified double track rail project from Gemas to Johor Baharu, estimated to cost RM8 billion, will be implemented to complete the electrified double track rail project from Padang Besar in the north to Johor Baharu in the south

* A sewerage treatment plant using green technology to be constructed in Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, similar plants throughout the country to follow.

* Focus on raising the income and quality of life of the bottom 40 per cent household income group where the Bumiputera form the largest number, that is 73 per cent of the 2.4 million households in the group.

* Subsidy rationalization in stages, the lower income group and those who are most vulnerable will continue to be given assistance.

* Implementation of various economic programs and provision of basic amenities to those living in the interior, especially those who live in long houses in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the Orang Asli and estate workers in Peninsular Malaysia.

* A RM109 million allocation to provide water supply to 182 estates with up to 1,000 acres in size and located less than five kilometers from the water mains.

* AIM and TEKUN micro-credit facilities will be provided to address urban poverty and the loan scheme will be packaged together with entrepreneurship training.

* A fund of RM100 million to be provided to provide soft loans for 280,000 households in Chinese new villages to pay their land premiums and renewals of leasehold through Bank Simpanan Nasional.

* The proportion of graduate teachers in primary schools will be increased from 28 to 60 per cent to improve the quality of students.

* The performance of students in critical subjects , particularly, the National Language, English, Science and Mathematics, will also be improved by increasing the number of graduate teachers.

* The qualification requirement for appointment of preschool teachers will be raised to a diploma and bachelor’s degree.

* Candidates with Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) will be considered for enrolment into the Chinese language programme in Institutes of Teacher Education to meet the demand for quality Mandarin language teachers in Chinese national schools and national schools.

* The same consideration will also be given to those who have Sijil Menengah Agama and Sijil Tinggi Agama and SPM to become teachers in J-Qaf and Islamic education program.

* The number of high-performing schools will be increased to 100 by the end of 2012 and they will include primary, secondary, day and residential schools.

* A Trust School framework will be introduced to enable public-private partnership in the management of selected government schools and they will be provided with greater autonomy.

* RM280 million will be allocated to government-aided schools for 2011 and 2012. Each category of government-aided school, namely Chinese schools, Tamil schools, religious schools and mission schools, will receive an allocation of RM70 million for the first two years of the 10MP.

* The government will provide assistance to pat electricity and water bills of up to RM2,000 per month for each of the almost 1,900 government-aided schools.

* Financial allocation for universities will depend on the achievement of their KPI targets and the government will grant gradual autonomy to the universities to improve their performance.

* The quality of academic staff will be improved by increasing the number of PhDs with a target of 75 per cent in research universities and 60 per cent in other public universities.

* The MyBrain15 program will be intensified to finance doctoral studies for the purpose of increasing the number of PhD holders to 18,000 by 2015.

* Salary packages will be reviewed to attract foreign lecturers and retired academic staff.

* Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has been declared a research university, after Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Sains Malaysia.

* Implementation of the high capacity Mass Rapid Transit system in Kuala Lumpur, covering a radius of 20km from the city centre with a total length of about 150km, will be able to serve up to two million passenger trips per day from 480,000 trips on current urban rail systems.

* Increase the percentage of public transport usage in Greater KL from 12 per cent in 2009 to 30 per cent in 2015.

* Public land transport system will be expanded to other cities with the introduction of the Bus Rapid Transit system in Iskandar, Johor, while the number of public buses in Penang will be increased by 200 buses to enable the expansion of 26 routes with an added capacity of 75,000 passengers per day.

* Construction of eight hospitals, including specialist hospitals, 197 clinics and 50 additional 1Malaysia clinics which are expected to be ready in the first half of the 10MP.

* Construction of 78,000 affordable houses under the 10MP.

* A fund of RM500 million for repair and maintenance works of public and private low-cost housing based on a matching grant basis where half of the contribution will be borne by the government and the other half by the management committee or residents' association. - Agencies