Most Malaysian ETP initiatives implemented

About 84 percent of the 87 initiatives announced under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) are being implemented.

Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Idris Jala said 23 initiatives were already operational and 50 had commenced while work on the remaining 14 were in progress.

He was optimistic that the initiatives would progress well to achieve its ultimate aim despite gloomy global economic outlook, but said that one had to be realistic that any crisis would give some impact to any economies.

"We are totally focused on what we are doing," he told reporters at the latest ETP update here Thursday.

Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced eight new investment projects worth RM1.4 billion in various sectors such as agriculture, education, aerospace, wholesale, retail and manufacturing.

On a collective basis, the ETP recorded RM171.21 billion investments, RM228.55 (US$76.5 billion) in gross national income (GNI) and 372,361 new jobs.

The ETP is a focused, inclusive and sustainable initiative that will transform Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020.

It is driven by 12 national key economic areas (NKEAs) namely oil, gas and energy; palm oil; financial services; wholesale and retail; tourism; business services; electrical and electronics; communications content and infrastructure; healthcare; education; agriculture; and greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley.

About 131 entry point projects (EPPs) have been clearly outlined within these sectors to grow the economy.

These EPPs within the NKEAs will lead Malaysia towards achieving a high income nation status with a per capita income of RM48,000 and create more than 3.3 million jobs by 2020 throughout the country.

PEMANDU's main role and objective is to oversee the implementation, assess the progress, facilitate as well as support the delivery and drive the progress of the ETP and the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).