GTP 2.0 - Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia

aDDREssING thE RIsING Cost oF lIvING
The rising cost of living has become a burden
to a significant number of Malaysians, including
those deemed lower-middle income earners.
Despite the best efforts of the Government to
keep prices of essentials from rising, factors
beyond its control such as the rising cost of fuel
and food, globally, has encroached upon the
local cost of living.
Although the Government already subsidises a
number of basic necessities, it realised there was
need for a more focused approach to help ease
the burden of the rakyat with respect to rising
prices. It thus introduced the Addressing the
Rising Cost of Living NKRA (COL NKRA) in 2011, a
year and a half after the formal implementation
of the GTP.
The COL NKRA addresses the issue of rising
prices in two ways: first, by providing direct
financial assistance to the rakyat who need it the
most, and second, by implementing programmes
to supply basic necessities such as food and
healthcare at a more affordable rate.
Over the 18 months of the NKRA’s
implementation, it has managed to secure a
number of significant outcomes including the
following:
DElIvERING outComEs 2012:
Providing assistance to working class and
underprivileged households
The BR1M programme distributed a oneoff
RM500 cash assistance to households earning less
than RM3,000 monthly, and this programme has been
extended and enhanced to include unmarried rakyat in
2013. Underprivileged groups were also helped under the
KAR1SMA programme, which distributed cash assistance
ranging from RM100 to RM450 to recipients including
senior citizens, the disabled, children, single mothers and
widows of police and military personnel. In 2012, RM1.4
billion was distributed under KAR1SMA.
Reducing education costs
In addition to the Back To School cash assistance and
Baucar Buku 1Malaysia programmes, students were
provided with extra support after the Government
abolished school fees for the first time in the country’s
history. In total, RM530 million was channelled to students
through the Back To School programme, while an additional
RM260 million of book vouchers was distributed to 1.13
million students enrolled in tertiary education institutions.
Ensuring affordable goods and services
2012 saw the continuation of key programmes that ensured
basic goods and services such as food and healthcare
remained affordable for every rakyat. Each programme
exceeded its targeted KPI and played an important role
in offsetting the rising cost of living. The COL NKRA also
introduced Kedai Kain 1Malaysia (KK1M) in 2012, which has
a similar goal to KR1M but with respect to clothing. Four
outlets were established last year, the first of which was set
up in Hulu Langat, Selangor.
FIGhtING CoRRuPtIoN
Corruption continues to stain the Malaysian
civil service, but the Fighting Corruption NKRA
(ANTI-CORR NKRA) has taken significant steps in
GTP 1.0 in laying down a foundation to stamp out
the practice. Moreover, the NKRA has expanded
its reach to establish anti-corruption practices for
private sector enterprises that carry out business
transactions with Government.
A significant milestone for this NKRA is the
Kuala Lumpur US Embassy’s decision to make
use of the NKRA’s ‘Name and Shame’ database
in 2011, which lists all offenders convicted of
corruption since its implementation in 2010. The
US Embassy uses the data from the list as one of
the criteria to determine whether or not to grant
travel visas to Malaysian applicants.
DElIvERING outComEs 2012:
announcement of Political Funding Reforms
The Prime Minister has taken positive steps forward with
the implementation of this initiative, which will take place
in GTP 2.0. The announcement is a key endorsement of
the initiative, which aims to plug the leak of funds that are
meant for political parties.
Creation of compliance units across
government bodies
The decision by key enforcement agencies across
government to adopt the ANTI-CORR NKRA’s compliance
units is another indication of the success of the initiative.
The Government believes that people are less prone to
corruption when there is someone looking over their
shoulders.
Implementation of the automated
Enforcement system (aEs) by the Road
transport Department (jPj)
The Road Transport Department implemented the AES
in August 2012, which aims to minimise opportunities for
corruption, by means of automatic traffic enforcement
activities. Although the programme has come under
some criticism, the ANTI-CORR NKRA believes that these
teething issues are minor inconveniences compared to the
programme’s overall benefit.
Creation of the Central asset
management Corporation
The aim of this Government agency is to manage
confiscated assets on behalf of the Government. The
Ministry of Finance has already structured a new division
for the corporation, which is presently awaiting the tabling
of a Bill detailing its creation in Parliament.
Improvement in the Corruption Perception
Index (CPI) Ranking
International watchdog Transparency International raised
Malaysia’s rank from 60th position to 54th in 2012 in its
Corruption Perceptions Index ranking.
20 Government transformation Programme—Annual Report 2012 Chapter one 21
Government transformation Programme—Annual Report 2012 Chapter one