Liow: MCA will focus efforts on boosting income

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA will focus its efforts on increasing the rakyat’s income while encouraging cooperation between Chinese and bumiputra small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to help spur economic growth.

Party president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said these were among several key areas which MCA intended to address in line with the national transformation programmes to develop Malaysia into a high income nation by 2020.

“Poverty is a problem that is largely faced in the urban areas. Statistics show that as much as 60% of the population are poor and require assistance in increasing their income,” he told reporters after giving his address at the MCA Budget 2015 Workshop here yesterday.

Those from the lower income group in the urban areas, said Liow, were usually primary and secondary school leavers who lacked skills and training to alleviate their livelihood.

MCA, he said, would emphasise on providing vocational skills training and human resource development programmes targeted at these groups.

All smiles: Liow sharing a light moment with party leaders at the 2015 Budget Workshop at Wisma MCA. With him are (from left) Wanita chairman Datuk Heng Seai Kie, Wanita vice-chairman Ong Chong Swen, Youth chairman Chong Sin Woon and MCA vice-presidents Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung, Datuk Chua Tee Yong and Datuk Lee Chee Leong.

 

“This would then help create a larger middle income society, which in turn would increase domestic demand to further strengthen the local economy,” said Liow.

Liow said if robust economic growth were to be maintained, it was important to increase domestic demand in the coming years.

“We need to increase internal demand from the current 52% to between 60% and 70%,” he said.

MCA, he said, would encourage greater cooperation between Chinese and bumiputra SMEs, adding that it wanted to help both communities.

Government-linked companies, he suggested, could do their part by helping such SMEs branch out abroad to specialise in a particular field.

“Such collaborations will help us develop the nation collectively rather than doing it independently. We can no longer view such economic effort as being that from the Chinese, Indian or Malay community but as an effort we do together as a nation,” he pointed out.

Liow said the coming Budget 2015 was crucial because of its timing, which coincided with the end of the 10th Malaysia Plan, adding that MCA hoped to get feedback from the Chinese community on it. He promised that MCA would not let the rakyat down, adding that the party was in the midst of drafting a long-term and foresighted administrative framework for the Chinese community.