SHAH ALAM: There was a huge gathering at the Selangor chapter of the Malaysian Family Aspiration Tour held at the Shah Alam Stadium carnival tarmac here, and there was soothing news for all who turned up.
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yacoob explained how the Malaysian Family was conceptualised a year ago as a unifying tool for the people, and how things had improved under his administration.
“It was introduced last August to ensure that everyone in our big family lived in harmony without religious or racial issues and is based on the three main thrusts - togetherness, inclusion, and gratitude,” he added.
Leader amongst the people: Ismail Sabri (second from right) accompanied by Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar (far right) at the Kenduri Rakyat in Shah Alam. — KK SHAM/The Star
The Prime Minister said it was, however, not a new concept, as these qualities were immersed within the Malaysian Family given the nation’s multiracial and multi-religious facet.
“If any member of our big family is faced with calamity, other family members will also feel it,” he pointed out.
Besides reiterating the importance of unity, Ismail Sabri also outlined his government’s achievements thus far.
He said various global factors had resulted in inflation as well as a hike in the cost of living and the government had initiated what was necessary to help people cope.
“Various short, medium, and long-term strategies have been implemented by the government involving all ministries, state governments, government agencies, and non-governmental agencies to heal the national economy,” he added.
Ismail Sabri said the effort paid off with Malaysia now being the best in the region with an 8.9% growth in GDP in the second quarter of the year.
He added that the inflation rate was also at 3.4%, which was the lowest.
He said the government had also spent an allocation of RM77.3bil to subsidise petrol, diesel, LPG, cooking oil, flour and electricity, with the amount being the biggest spent on subsidies in the nation’s history.
Subsidies, he noted, not only helped individuals counter inflation, but also people who needed assistance with social welfare and farming and fishing, among other things.
According to the Prime Minister, Malaysia charted 44% growth amounting to RM132.8bil in June 2022 in the wholesale and retail trade.
“This is the highest since 2013, with a big jump in the sale of motor vehicles,” he added.
He said Malaysia’s trade also, for the very first time, surpassed RM2bil, which saw a 24.9% increase.
Ismail Sabri said he was confident that foreign investors would continue investing in Malaysia due to the country’s policies.
“For the duration of the last nine months until June 2022, the country has recorded foreign direct investment of RM74.1bil, which was higher than that of 2021, 2020, and 2018,” he pointed out, adding that all these indicated the improving national economy.
