KUALA LUMPUR, 6 Mar — Penang Paradigm, a ten-year development framework for the Penang state government has been launched, envisioning the northern state’s path towards achieving a “balanced society” towards 2023.
Officiating the Kuala Lumpur launch of the plan here, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the plan aims to develop Penang further as an international and intelligent state.
“Or to put it simply, to make Penang no.1 in Malaysia,” Lim said.
Three main drivers of progress
Produced by the state-funded think-tank Penang Institute, Penang Paradigm aims for “holistic progress”, motivated by what it identified as three “main drivers of progress”, namely ideas, private investments and public infrastructure.
Lim said the state government’s vision for Penang is for the state to become a “regional hub” that will build, upgrade, attract and retain international talent, rising up to be the state that “educates and nurtures talent” while promoting and rewarding diligence, expertise and entrepreneurship.
In his speech, Lim said Penang is also set to be a state that is livable “by being clean, green, safe and healthy”, with its governance practicing integrity, justice and “being people-centric”.
Closing the gap
Lim also lamented Malaysia’s worsening brain drain, bringing up the point that two million Malaysians that have left the country, allegedly due to the lack of educational and economic opportunities, added up by discrimination, corruption and lack social justice.
“Our loss has been other countries’ gain. Penang, especially, has given other countries their professors, doctors, engineers, chief justices and cabinet ministers. This state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue,” Lim said.
The Member of Parliament for Bagan also cited the Penang’s sterling achievement in reducing the state debt by 95%, gaining consecutive budget surpluses ever since 2008, which enabled the state government to introduce many innovative programmes benefiting Penangites.
Penang’s asset is its people
Bolstering the state government’s people-centric policies, Lim said the Penang Paradigm’s strategic vision is based on Penang’s greatest asset: its people.
“We believe that we can provide the best environment for people to live in if we have a people-centric government that invests in people, that educates and trains the people, that frees the people to innovate and engage in enterprise, and that liberates the people from ignorance, poverty and disability so that that they can be full participants in our economy and in our democracy.”
“Quality of life in Penang should not be just for the rich, but for all who live and stay in Penang,” Lim said.
“This requires quality affordable housing, efficient and effective public transport, green open spaces accessible to all, a clean and healthy natural environment and a vibrant arts, culture and heritage landscape,” he added.
Crowd sourcing approach to state planning
Lim said that Penang Paradigm has surfaced out of the belief that it is the government that should fear the people, not the other way around.
“The time has come when the people should no longer fear the government, but that the government should fear the people.”
“And it is because we, the Penang state government, fear the people that we have adopted this crowd-sourcing approach in order to seek input from the people at large,” urged Lim.
Penang Paradigm was first launched in George Town on 23 February. — The Rocket
