NST: Strengthen roles of state and local governments, says Selangor MB
KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said it is high time the federal government strengthened the roles of state and local governments in matters such as public transportation, social services and public healthcare.
The Gombak member of parliament said this should include distributing part of the income tax and road tax to them.
He added that it is also to ensure that the country will be able to uphold the concept of federalism which touches on collective responsibility.
"Some of the roles that I mentioned, if referred to the ninth schedule of the federal constitution, are subject to a collective responsibility between the federal government and state government," he said during his debate session in the mid-term review of the 12th Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Rakyat, today.
Meanwhile, Amirudin also hoped that the government would look into the future of Malaysia Plans and shift its focus from not only infrastructure development projects by the government but also combining efforts with the private sector and companies.
"This is so that developments for big infrastructures such as ports, highways, and such are a combined effort between initiatives of private sectors and planning of the government.
"The government will plan new city or industrial areas, combined with the initiatives of private sectors as well as funds between both parties to be incorporated.
On Monday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tabled the mid-term review of 12MP, raising the expenditure ceiling by RM15 billion, bringing the total allocation for the plan to RM415 billion from RM400 billion allocated in 2021.
Anwar added that the 12MP for the years 2023 to 2025 will emphasise sustainable economic growth, as well as transparent, fair and equitable wealth distribution across all economic sectors.
