YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani Mohamad is a man on a mission. As the 14th Menteri Besar (First Minister) of the State of Perak in Malaysia, he has a vision to transform Perak into a prosperous State. It is a vision captured in the Perak Sejahtera Development Plan 2030 (PS2030 – Prosperous Perak Development Plan 2030), which lays out long-term development goals for the State.
It has been an eventful three years since YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani Mohamad took over the Menteri Besar’s position on 10 December 2020. It was during this time that the second wave of COVID-19 infections had broken out in Malaysia, resulting in strict lockdowns that affected the lives of many across the country, Perak not excluded.
Recalling the events then, YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani told International Business Review, “When I first took office as Perak Menteri Besar, I was immediately informed that around 50,000 Perakians had lost their jobs and 80,000 businesses had closed down. Not only were the lives of the Rakyat (people) devastated, the effects of COVID-19 also resulted in a sharp decline in the State government revenue.”
Faced with such challenges, YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani set about to tackle them with gusto, with the aim of creating a long-term solution that would improve the well-being of the people and uplift Perak.
As such, he directed Perak’s think tank, Institut Darul Ridzuan (IDR) to come up with a strategy for the State. The exercise included 118 engagement sessions with a broad spectrum of stakeholders including the youth, government officials, ministries, agencies, members of parliament, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society, academia, the private sector and the general public.
These sessions enabled IDR to identify the key needs of the people and the challenges that have to be addressed. The needs being food security, quality job opportunities, home ownership, youth and human capital development, and health and well-being.
The key challenges identified are an ageing society, out-migration, the B40 and digital gaps.
The IDR’s findings became the base for the formulation of PS2030, which according to the Menteri Besar, “outline six goals that reflect the people’s aspirations, such as well-being, security and development with the mission of driving sustainable, inclusive and dynamic
socio-economic development.”
Beautiful Royal Belum : Located in northern Perak, the Royal Belum State Park is undoubtedly a marvel of the natural world. Spanning 117,500 hectares, it is home to one of the world’s oldest, pristine rainforests estimated to be more than 130 million years old. It is also on the shortlist to be designated as UNESCO World Heritage site.
According to the Menteri Besar, PS2030 was developed in line with existing Federal and State-level plans such as the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12). As such, he emphasised that it is not meant to substitute but instead to reinforce what has already been set out.
Elaborating on this, YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani said, “PS2030 fills the socio-economic and governance gaps from the previous development plans and is equipped with post-pandemic recovery strategies. Ultimately, we would like to ensure
sustainable development and people’s well-being as per Perak Makmur, Rakyat Sejahtera (Prosperous Perak, Prosperous People).”
It has been more than two years since PS2030 was launched in 2021 and more than a year since it came into effect in 2022, and YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani is pleased by the progress thus far.
For instance, in 2022, the mining and quarrying, manufacturing and services sectors in Perak grew by 12.6 percent, 5.6 percent and 4.6 percent respectively, which were the highest rates recorded. In addition, the State’s GDP in 2022 grew by 4.3 percent, which is higher than the 3.6 percent recorded in 2021.
To complement PS2030, the Perak State government also introduced the Perak Industrial Plan (P3) through the State investment promotion arm Invest Perak in November this year.
Under P3, Perak aims to bring in investments valued at RM47 billion over the next 10 years, particularly in key target sectors which include electrical & electronics (E&E), automotive (which includes components and electric vehicles), mineral-based industries, biotechnology, and medical devices.
“This,” the Menteri Besar stated confidently, “will highlight Perak as a developed and competitive State as to not only having the ability to attract high-tech investments but also developing a globally competitive skilled workforce.” And in doing so, will help raise Perak’s GDP to RM123 billion by 2030, up from RM80.2 billion in 2022.
“The Perak State Government has been working strategically with the Federal Government via ministries and various agencies to implement rakyat or citizen-centric projects and programmes. Particularly to fulfil the target groups’ needs, for example access to education, home ownership, quality jobs. This will enable us to move forward to improve the well-being of the people. “– YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani Mohamad, Menteri Besar of Perak
A Plan for All
For YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani, the unique aspect of PS2030 is that it was developed through extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, making it a “Plan of the People, by the People and for the People” which is “dynamic, realistic and achievable.”
Supporting PS2030 are three pillars, namely economy, social, and governance. Elaborating on the importance of each, the Menteri Besar noted that economic growth through the high-impact investments planned under PS2030 will help create quality jobs, increase skilled human capital, and enhance infrastructure in Perak. This, in turn, will lead to a higher quality of life for Perakians.
At the same time, he emphasised the State government’s commitment to improving education, housing, health, youth development, entrepreneurship and job opportunities in order to uplift social well-being. Of particular interest to him is education, which is why one of the focuses of PS2030 is on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and entrepreneurship development.
As for governance, YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani is pleased that the Perak State government has successfully introduced several initiatives that have improved the delivery of government services. For instance, Park@Perak is an app that allows people to pay for parking and settle their compounds at any local authority in Perak. Then there is Sistem e-Perak which enables people to pay land taxes and other charges online.
The Menteri Besar also highlighted the importance of political stability in Perak, emphasising on how the Unity government between the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalitions have managed to put aside political differences to work on consensus.
As he said proudly, “we have always put people first. We strongly believe that with concerted efforts, we can work towards any common goals. And we ensure that all State Assembly representatives and service centres, regardless of government or opposition, receive equal funding for local development, programmes and personnel.”
State – Federal Partnership
YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani also spoke glowingly of the relationship between the Perak State Government and the Federal Government, reiterating how Perak’s development roadmap is in line with Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Malaysia MADANI aspirations.
In addition, he also iterated that P3 is in line with the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030 set by the Ministry of Investment,
Trade and Industry (MITI). This plan seeks to grow the value-added manufacturing sector’s contribution to Malaysia’s GDP from RM361.4 billion in 2022 to RM587.5 billion by 2030.
Given that P3 aims to increase Perak’s GDP to RM123 billion by 2030, this means that the State will contribute to around 21 percent of
the national GDP; a significant figure.
The Menteri Besar also gave kudos to the Federal Government for its support for Perak. This includes allocating RM1.77 billion for various development projects related to tourism and biodiversity as well as the setting up of the Kerian High Tech Industrial area as part of an E&E cluster in the northern part of the State.
The Mystical and Mysterious Kellie’s Castle
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Perak, Kellie’s Castle was built by a Scottish planter William Kellie-Smith in the 1920s. While never completed, it is now famous for having hidden passageways, secret rooms and underground tunnels, as well as rumours of being haunted.The 1999 movie Anna and the King, starring Chow Yun Fat and Jodie Foster, was also filmed there.
Investments Making an Impact
In order to realise the goals of PS2030 and P3, a number of high-value projects have been identified. The Menteri Besar acknowledges that the success of these projects depends on Perak offering the right ecosystem which is conducive to the needs of investors.
He was therefore pleased to reveal that InvestPerak has been proactive in facilitating and expediting investments into Perak, particularly those that generate high-value, high-income jobs for the people of Perak.
In addition, he also revealed that the State Government, along with InvestPerak and the Perak Land and Mines Office, has set up a taskforce known as Pengurusan Projek Berkepentingan Negeri (PELANCAR – Management of Projects of State Interest)
to help speed up high-impact projects.
YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani has also taken an active and personal interest in bringing investments into Perak. For instance, in October 2023, he led an investment promotion mission to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanning and Guangzhou in China. As a result of this visit, a number of agreements were signed between Perak agencies and Chinese companies.
These included an MoU between the Perak State Economic Development Corporation (PKNP) and Shanghai TruStar Business Incubator to set up a business incubator in Perak. InvestPerak also signed an MoU with Zhejiang Sinopont Technology to build a RM2 billion film encapsulation factory in the State.
As part of the initiative to drive more investments into Perak, particularly in the rare earth mining industry, the Menteri Besar of Perak led a delegation to Nanning in China, where he was given a tour of the rare earth separation plant run by China Rare Earth Group (CREG). Also part of the delegation was Anuar Zainal Abidin, CEO of MB Inc. Perak (2nd from the left).
Other Focus Areas
The Menteri Besar also anticipates that several industries will play key roles in driving Perak forward, one of which is non-radioactive rare earth elements (NR-REE). The State has deposits of lanthanide, with an estimate
value of RM93 billion, and as of October 2023, NR-REE mining projects have generated RM21.12 million in export royalties for Perak.
YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani is therefore proud
that Perak has made a name for itself as a pioneer of sustainable NR-REE mining in Malaysia, thanks to the efforts of Menteri
Besar Incorporated Perak (MB Inc. Perak), which is the State agency responsible for overseeing the sustainable development of Perak’s mining industry.
Plans are also underway for the setting up of a Central Processing Plant (CPP) to process REE, thereby moving Perak up the value chain from upstream to midstream and downstream activities. In addition, Perak will also be home to Malaysia’s first NR-REE laboratory, known as the Terra Mineral Lab, which is a collaboration between MB Inc. Perak, PKNP and the Perak State Agriculture Development Corporation (Perak SADC), as well as its first comprehensive mineral database.
The success of PS2030 is also dependent on having the right ecosystem and infrastructure. This is why YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani is also focused on enhancing digitalisation in Perak as well as human capital development and logistics.
This is why he aims for Perak to be home to Malaysia’s TVET corridor, which will focus on capacity building for the digital economy, tourism, marketing and healthcare. Also, the State is aiming to improve its transportation networks, particularly through the West Coast Expressway (WCE), which will not only ease congestion on the North-South Highway (PLUS) but also bring tourism, business and economic growth to parts of Perak.
“According to MIDA (the Malaysian Investment Development Authority), Perak received over RM22.3 billion in investments as at end of June 2023 from a total of 283 manufacturing projects which have created 22,000 jobs.”– YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani Mohamad, Menteri Besar of Perak
As a true blue Anak Perak (Child of Perak), the success of Perak Sejahtera 2030 is more than just a political mission for YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani Mohamad. It is his way of giving something back to the State and people that he holds so close to his heart. Owing to this combination of well laid-out plans and extraordinary vision and leadership, we can see why Perak – often known as Malaysia’s Silver State –
is well on the way to getting the gold.
