The potential benefit of HSR and ECRL to the people living nearby.

THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF HSR (HIGH SPEED RAIL)

For information, in 2010, the Malaysian Government launched the Economic Transformation Programme ( ETP ) with the objective of transforming the country into a high-income nation by the year 2020. Under the Greater Kuala Lumpur/ Klang Valley National Key Economic Area ( NKEA ) component of the ETP is the Southern Corridor High Speed Rail Project, popularly known  as the HSR project. The initiative is one of the Entry Point Projects ( EPPs ) that aims to improve both the economic dynamism of Malaysia's capital city as well as its liveability rankings relatives to other global cities. The 330 KM journey- which includes five transit stops will take a mere 90 minutes ( for express ) and promises to bring great economic benefit to Malaysians. HSR connect Malaysia to Singapore.

   

The recent Singapore KL High Speed Rail project is expected to impact the Asian nations on a positive note. The project Memorandum of Understanding that was recently signed has already ignited expectations for the project that has a decade to be completed (2026).

Although the high-speed rail will bring about economic growth to both nations, it will also spur the creation of jobs, increase in tourism, cultural diversity, and real estate opportunities.

The first advantage of the high-speed rail project is likely to be regarding skills transfer.Singapore does not have high-speed rail technology experience, hence; this project will pave the way for an opportunity to build expertise. It will develop manpower in the sector and set a foundation for the development of the technology.

Another essential benefit of the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High-Speed Rail to Malaysia is the direct job opportunities it will present. From the construction till the operations, many Malaysians will be directly involved in various capacity and manpower. Also, This will result to the upspringing of business opportunities around Jurong East terminus in diverse sectors including tourism, hospitality, retail, logistics and much more.

Finally, business activities will begin to overflow into Malaysia from Singapore. Shopping malls and other business properties will start to spring up in other towns in places close to the train routes in Malaysia, especially, Johor. This will increase the growth rate of Johor and the property sector too. Many Singaporeans already live in Johor but, more will begin to own and develop resources.

THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF ECRL

ECRL is the rail line that cover around 600 Km will begin at Port Klang in Selangor and snake through Kuala Lumpur towards Bentong, Mentakab and Kuantan in Pahang, and then to Terengganu's Kemaman, Kertih and Kuala Terengganu, before proceeding to Kota Baru and ending in Tumpat, Kelantan.This project get the cooperation with China which is China will build and provide financing for Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a RM55 billion (S$18.3 billion) rail project spanning four states, said a senior Malaysian official on Monday (31 Oct 2016), as Prime Minister Najib Razak arrived in Beijing for a week-long visit.

The ECRL has a big potential to unlock value for cities along the alignment, boosting tourism and industrial activities.

A rail link which will finally connect ports on the east coast with Malaysia's largest port in Port Klang on the west coast will be a game-changer and offer unique logistic and transportation advantages. This is the vision of the Prime Minister for the rakyat in the east coast states of peninsular Malaysia.

Development of these new growth areas in Malaysia's eastern corridor will help increase income levels and uplift the standard of living in these areas in order to narrow the development gap with the western corridor of peninsular Malaysia.

The ECRL project will act as stimulus for the construction sector and when completed, it will form part of the Pan-Asia railway network that will boost connectivity with ASEAN, Asian and European countries that will greatly boost international trade for Malaysia.

This ECRL project will contribute as much as an additional 1.5% GDP annual growth on average to the East Coast Region over the next 50 years where the main beneficiaries would be the rural and semi-rural rakyat of the East coast states.Due to its many economic and development benefits, the government will ensure that this project will be successfully implemented as one of the key initiatives by the Prime Minister towards a balanced, developed, and high-income Malaysia.

As conclusion, we can conclude that HSR is the railway that build between Malaysia-Singapore while ECRL is the rail line build from Kuala Lumpur-Tumpat in Malaysia.

1 Malaysia Program

1. 1 AZAM Program

1Azam program was created to help the poor and hardcore poor to generate employment and increase their income. There are 4 types of programs under 1AZAM is AZAM Kerja, AZAM Niaga, AZAM Khidmat and AZAM Tani. Each project has a different focus depending on the needs of the participants to help them out of poverty.

            The Malaysian government has allocated RM455 million for the program 1AZAM. In my opinion, the Malaysian government has shown an earnest effort to help target groups (poor) out of poverty. Until now a total of 193,390 target groups can be assisted through this program. It's a fairly large number. Hopefully, the efforts made by governments continues until all the target groups who are still eligible to be fully supported.

Among the success of 1Azam Programs

2. Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KRIM) Program

I strongly agree with this program, KR1M is very helpful to those who are middle and low income. KR1M there in my village, I often visit this KR1M, the price is cheaper than other stores and there are a variety of options. It is expected that the government can create more KR1M in the average population have medium or low income.

Applying the concept of a mini-market, KR1M offers a variety of daily necessities at prices 30-50% cheaper than in shops or supermarkets. It aims to reduce the burden of Malaysians, especially low-income earners who live in urban areas. There are more than 250 items sold in 185 retail branches nationwide KR1M.

RM386 million allocation announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when tabling the 2013 Budget last week at a cost of shipping to the store instead of store construction costs alone.  Out of which only $ 87 million was used as an allocation to build 57 stores in question. The costs also vary according to the situation in each location.

Through my experience, the quality of the products offered in CREAM is in the range of good and very good. This is because if you read on the label, the name of the manufacturer are listed there, and the producers are known as F & N, Jalen, sweeteners and others. So of course, the product is almost the same quality as branded products.


3. Klinik 1Malaysia

With the existence of the 1Malaysia Clinic, it's very helpful to all those in need especially for the less fortunate. In my opinion, this clinic existed at the time and right place. Many Malaysians who have received the benefits, it can help Malaysians live a healthier and happier.

Klinik 1Malaysia plays a vital role providing quality and affordable basic healthcare for Malaysians through better accessibility to its services. There are currently 334 K1Ms across Malaysia at strategic locations near residential communities. 

K1M's services include treatment for minor ailments, follow up treatment for stable chronic patients, as well as lab test services such as urine test, HIV and TB.

All K1Ms are under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, which ensures that all its facilities and medicines are adequately equipped. A fee of only RM 1 is charged to locals per visit while it remains free for senior citizens. It operates from 10 am to 10 pm including on weekends and public holidays.

What are the Malaysian Government initiatives that has been in place to increase the economic and income per capita ?

1. Increase Revenue, Reduce Costs

20 initiatives immediate and long term and has been recommended by the Public Finance Lab to increase revenue, reduce costs and strengthen the economy. This will enable the Government to address any shortcomings, settle debts and invest for the future.

These proposals are grouped into six main areas, namely the implementation of the tax, the company tax incentives narrow, transparent procurement, expenditure control accounting fiber double, including services (Goods and Services Tax or GST).

A total of six initiatives will be implemented to improve tax collection. These include extending the areas of investigation and audit, broaden the tax base and increase the capacity of audit and enforcement of the Customs Department. To expand the GST tax base will be introduced to replace the sales and services available.

2. Refining Government's Role in Business

In the laboratory SRI passage that discusses the Government's Business, Government urged to strive to ensure that the boundaries between areas of business and enforcement be clearly separated to avoid any conflict or conflicts of interest and promote a fairer market thereby attracting investment from the private sector.

This policy will also enable Malaysia to reap the benefits in terms of savings and financial markets are strong and authoritative. This will enhance the financial position of the country in addition to allowing the country to spur growth.

The NKEA under the ETP has identified that 92% of investment in Malaysia must come from the private sector. Government involvement in the business sector will only continue in the four areas, namely:

• When the private sector requires an investment partner in the project is expected to increase the Gross National Income (GNI) as an example of regional development corridors.

• Where a business venture that must be owned by local bodies for the protection of national interest, such as the procurement of defense technology and so on.

• When necessary investment involves the construction of large capital, catalyst technology or new technology.

• When it comes to construction projects bleak country's public transport system, biotechnology and sustainable energy.

Each investment will also have a strategy for the government to pass its presence. The government will fine-tune each of its investments, starting with 33 companies that have been identified to be discharged either through a listing on the stock exchange, the reduction or withholding of sales at once.

For other businesses, the Government is determined to build a structure to improve its operation. Unit to monitor each GLCs (Government-Linked Company or GLC) will be established to monitor the company's loyal and statutory bodies involved.

3. Developing Human Capital for High-Income Economy

Malaysia also continued to develop human capital, starting with efforts to update its labor laws. A total of four of the Act will be reviewed and amended extensively to harmonize with the current needs of the various parties involved.

Since Malaysia is also moving towards a system of pay based on productivity, where workers are paid compensation in accordance with the amount of work done, the Ministry of Human Resources will also announce the minimum wage by the end of this year.

The passing of the bill National Wages Consultative Council in 2011, the event will be entrusted to examine and provide recommendations to the Government on any matters relating to the employment of minimum, including a breakdown of the minimum wage by sector, region and other matters related.

Improved skills of the workforce are essential for developing human capital for high-income economy. In this regard, the Talent Corporation will help develop a detailed program for specific fields and in accordance with the NKEA Lab City and Corridor will come.

These include measures to ensure the safety of the workforce to encourage them more engaged and involved in business matters, such as unemployment insurance, assisted by training programs and skills upgrading for employees and improved service recruitment.

The Government would start a policy designed to use the talents of women in full to increase the productivity of labor as well as possible, in addition to efforts to increase the involvement of the Eve in the labor force in Malaysia.

To help SMEs, a series of programs will be developed to improve the Human Resources Development Fund (Human recourses Development Fund, or HRDF). It in turn will enable local SMEs to learn so adopt business practices that are the latest in human resources management, thereby increasing their ability to build a skilled workforce and high productivity.

4. Towards a United Efficient, Robust And Ability

Malaysia will to move toward building a government that is based on efficiency, stability and ability to provide all the needs of both business and the public sector. Among the most important initiatives proposed by the Laboratory of Public Service, including eliminating duplication of measures and function in harmony in order to have a clear administrative structure to ensure the integrity and quality of production. The government is also introducing a performance monitoring system immediately, aided by instant feedback rating system.

Efficient public services will also be built by adopting the practices of strategic human resources, where the organizational structure will be flattened using HR practices selected. In addition, the open recruitment of labor in the civil service as well as between the private sector to fill certain positions, through open recruitment is thus fostering a competitive environment. Among the steps to enable this policy include the introduction of regular employment scheme and increase the existing pension scheme.

5. Enhance Competitiveness Malaysia

Malaysia has shown its commitment to improve the country's competitiveness through SRI International Standards and Liberalization (SAL) which involves three elements, namely the liberation of the services sector, as well as the standards of competition law.

The release of the service sector at the highest level is based on their contribution to the Gross National Income (GNI) not only for now but also in time hadapan.Ini very important in achieving the goals of the ETP to increase the contribution of the services sector to the national income to 65% by 2020.

Malaysia has the advantage in terms of competitiveness and strives to be among the biggest employers the world. It begins with the release of the medical sector, education and business services. All of this will see the limits of property rights and foreign workers in Malaysia abolished gradually.

This will complement the improvement of the quality of Malaysian goods where the focus is limited to the services and products where Malaysia has a competitive advantage and the ability to become world's largest producer. The Act will come into force competition thereby promoting increased competition, foreign investment and boost the current market. It is also designed to protect businesses from any unhealthy practices and abuse of power.

6. Ability stimulate Build

Through this SRI, efforts to develop Bumiputera SMEs will be developed, thus increasing income levels and stimulating content-house low-income Malaysians to contribute to economic development. Already there are plans under the NKRA for Low-Income contents of houses, Education and Rural Basic infrastructure, to improve low-income households.

SMEs Program High Performance (High Performing Bumiputera SME, or PBS) to foster a new generation of world-class Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the 12 NKEA, will be launched by TERAJU soon.

SMEs need to be enlarged to increase their level of development and compete in the open market without expecting excessive twelve Ehsan Government. The program will have a scheme "recede" more decisive for driving performance and self-reliance.

The government aims to per capita income is US $ 15,000 or RM48,352 per annum by 2019, one year ahead of the original target countries to achieve high-income nation by 2020.