Addressing the people: Anwar speaking at a townhall session during the “Rancakkan Madani Bersama Malaysiaku” programme in Putrajaya. Joining him are Ahmad Zahid (left) and Fadillah (right). — Bernama
PUTRAJAYA: Development projects nationwide, including in Sabah and Sarawak, are being implemented based on actual needs to ensure that the benefits are felt by the people as a whole, says Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
The Deputy Prime Minister said political considerations do not drive the implementation of government projects; instead, they prioritise the needs of the people, ensuring that the targeted groups receive the intended benefits.
“This is based on the needs of each region or state and identifying the intended beneficiaries.
“That is why the perception that we are approaching development based on politics is completely untrue,” he said as a panellist in a forum titled “Madani Government – Retrospective and Mapping the Way Forward” held here yesterday.
The forum was part of the 2025 National Convention on Public Service Reform, held in conjunction with the “Rancakkan Madani Bersama Malaysiaku” programme, which also featured Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as a panellist.
The Rancakkan Madani programme, held at Dataran Putrajaya over three days since Friday, was organised by the Prime Minister’s Office through the Performance Acceleration Coordination Unit (Pacu).
Taking into account the needs of the people, Fadillah said that the government has implemented targeted subsidies.
These include the adjustment of chicken and egg subsidies, the restructuring of electricity tariffs, and focused subsidies for diesel and RON95 petrol. Collectively, these measures resulted in annual savings of about RM15.5bil.
He said the savings from these subsidy reforms were channelled towards providing cash aid to the people, strengthening the education and health sectors, and improving public infrastructure – ensuring that the benefits are felt directly by the people.
“Ahmad Zahid previously outlined the current approach to reform. Through the transformations or reforms we are implementing, we will be able to revitalise the country’s economy,” he said.
Commenting on the country’s future direction, Fadillah said one of the government’s key priorities is to propel Malaysia into the digital era, particularly through advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor technology.
He said that approved investments in the sector for 2024 had reached RM378.5bil, which has the potential to create 207,241 new job opportunities. This development is expected to support economic growth and enhance the income of the populace.
“With these new technologies, we want to ensure that our country remains competitive amid today’s global challenges, while positioning Malaysia firmly on the right development trajectory,” he said, Bernama reported.
Commenting on the government’s priorities moving forward, Fadillah said that from 2026 onwards, the focus would shift towards reshaping national development through the implementation of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
He said the 13MP would emphasise an economy anchored on value creation, sustainability and inclusivity, supported by comprehensive reforms driven through close collaboration between the civil service and the public.
Fadillah said that sound policies and effective planning must work in tandem to achieve Malaysia’s aspiration of becoming a developed nation with a sustainable economy and a high quality of life for its citizens, in alignment with the principles of the Madani government.
Touching on Malaysia’s achievements at the regional level, he said the country has demonstrated strong diplomatic capability, particularly through its role in hosting the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits last October.
This included policy planning as well as facilitating the participation of Asean member states and international partners in Malaysia.
“This achievement has also elevated Malaysia’s standing on the international stage,” he added.
