MELAKA – The state has managed to garner investments totalling RM4.26 billion between January and June 2021, surpassing the total amount of investments recorded over the past two years.
Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali said in 2019, the state recorded investments totalling RM0.9 billion and RM1.9 billion in 2020.
He said this in his speech during the awards, honours, and medals presentation ceremony in conjunction with the 72nd birthday celebration of Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam here today.
Sulaiman said due to the uncertainties in the global economy and the Covid-19 pandemic, which has not subsided, Melaka’s gross domestic product (GDP) performance in 2020 declined by 5.9%.
He said the services and manufacturing sectors dominated Melaka’s economic landscape, contributing 48.6% and 37.3% respectively to the state’s GDP, followed by agriculture (11.2%), construction (2.4%), and mining and quarrying (0.1%).
“With all the uncertainties and various challenges since 2020, various economic sectors have experienced a downturn, but Alhamdulillah, the agriculture sector recorded a positive increase of 3.7% from RM4.43 billion to RM4.59 billion.
“Melaka’s unemployment rate in 2020 was the second-lowest after Putrajaya, which is 2.2% compared to the national rate of 4.5%.
“The state government has always implemented initiatives to help the people find jobs – especially the youths – by jointly organising a programme with the Social Security Organisation, namely the 2021 National Career Generator Carnival,” he said.
Sulaiman said under the 12th Malaysia Plan, Melaka had received an allocation of RM369 million for the implementation of 169 projects and programmes that had been planned throughout 2021.
He said under Budget 2022, a total of 171 development projects with a total cost of RM5.534 billion had been approved for implementation in Melaka, involving RM574 million to be spent in 2022.
“A total of RM20 million has also been allocated to implement various projects on food security, tourism, as well as the preservation and conservation of the environment, including addressing the issue of floods.
“The new state administration will plan and restructure existing programmes and projects that are more suitable, dynamic, and pragmatic for each target group through the Melaka Budget 2022 initiatives, as well as privatisation projects, especially those planned in the Melaka Waterfront Economic Zone,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sulaiman said the federal government had approved eight projects worth RM931.2 million as a long-term solution to address the flood issue in the state.
This includes a project to upgrade the Krubong-Durian Tunggal flood mitigation pond as a dual-function pool for flood mitigation and water resources – the first of its kind to be implemented in Malaysia.
Additionally, 27 short-term projects worth RM17.6 million will be implemented in 2022, utilising the allocations by the federal and the state government.
“The state government promises that the development planned for the next five years will be inclusive in nature, and everyone can enjoy the benefits.
“Some of these will be announced in the presentation of Melaka’s Budget 2022 soon, Insya-Allah,” he said. – Bernama, December 4, 2021
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