IPOH: Perak plans to set up two special committees to address the impact of the conflict in the Middle East.
Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the Crisis Impact Mitigation and Crisis Impact Monitoring Special Committees were proposed by the State Secretary following a state-level coordination meeting.
“The specific roles of the two committees will be detailed in a state executive council meeting.
“It will then be followed by the implementation of the mitigation and intervention measures in phases,” he said in his winding-up speech at the state assembly sitting yesterday.
He said Perak would not adopt a “wait and see” approach and had instead taken proactive measures following a special Mentri Besar-Chief Ministers’ meeting on April 2 to discuss the impact of the global energy crisis and the mitigation steps that need to be implemented.
“A subsequent coordination meeting involving heads of departments, chaired by the State Secretary on April 14, was held to get feedback on the impact of the crisis on the state’s economic sectors and the people.”
Saarani said the measures taken by the committees would be refined, taking into account intervention actions that are being implemented at federal level to avoid overlapping or leakage of resources while ensuring efforts that are put in place can complement and strengthen existing approaches.
“The initial phase of mitigation measures will focus on the most basic things, ensuring food security for the people, especially for those most affected by the pressure of the cost of living.
“Subsequent phases will focus on the state’s commitment to implement mitigation measures on strategic sectors, ensuring farmers and small entrepreneurs can be supported if the energy crisis worsens,” he said.
To ensure that the mitigation plan could be executed effectively, he said the state would “realign” this year’s budget to focus on matters that impact the people.
“This is so that available resources can be utilised more optimally to support the implementation of these intervention measures.
“At the same time, the state will not hesitate to consider implementing an additional budget to strengthen mitigation efforts, particularly in protecting the welfare of the people, supporting affected sectors, and ensuring that the state’s economic growth continues to be maintained.”
