SHAH ALAM, April 3 — The Selangor government will announce its work-from-home (WFH) policy, formulated to face effects from geopolitical crises in West Asia, by April 6, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He added that this was decided by the Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES) during a meeting just now.
“We will (provide details) this coming Monday. We acted two days ago by holding a roundtable and today (by calling) the first meeting.
“If need be in the future, State Secretary (Dato’ Ahmad Fadzli Ahmad Tajuddin) could replace me to ensure (everything goes smoothly),” he told a press conference after chairing the MTES meeting today.
Amirudin added that the state government will enhance its strategic cooperation with Putrajaya to make sure all plans go smoothly.
According to him, the cooperation involves several federal agencies such as the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU).
He also said the federal government would hold more engagement sessions with state leaders to discuss and coordinate various plans.
“Through this platform, we can submit several state-level plans so they align with federal government schemes.
“If I get the chance, I will personally contact the prime minister or Economy Ministry so (state programmes) are in line with federal government schemes and plans,” Amirudin said.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a WFH policy for ministries, government agencies, statutory bodies and government-linked companies (GLCs) to start April 15.
He said the initiative aims to conserve fuel and ensure sustainable energy supplies amid the global energy crisis.
To this end, Selangor is crafting economic interventions to mitigate effects of the global crisis.
Amirudin said the state government’s approach won’t centre on just aid, but consider larger risks involving the sustainability of main economic sectors.
He added that the industrial, trade and services sectors, which form the backbone of the state economy, must be shielded from the impact of the crisis.
“In these (interventions), we didn’t just consider groups that need support, but also policy measures to ensure the sustainability of the industrial, trade and services sectors in Selangor.
“Monitoring will be meticulously done based on the latest data, including general price indices, food supply, and the potential of goods price hikes,” he explained.
Amirudin also said the global supply chain crisis hasn’t just impacted the oil and gas sector, but also commodities and other important industries like fertiliser, semiconductor, and helium, which could significantly affect the economy.
“Monitoring is done in the field and is not mere projection, but based on the latest data and input from government agencies, relevant departments and experts.
“On Monday, several measures will be announced, and around two weeks after that follow-up measures to mitigate impacts of the supply crisis will be announced,” he added.
This morning, Amirudin said a special task force, meant to plan measures to manage the impact of the West Asia geopolitical crisis, would be announced by Monday.
Tensions in West Asia have heightened since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
Tehran retaliated by targeting US assets in Gulf countries, and shut down the Strait of Hormuz — an important passage for nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply — in response to the attacks.
