SHAH ALAM, August 6 — The Second Selangor Plan (RS-2) will prioritise strengthening the state’s macroeconomic growth while narrowing development gaps between districts to ensure the state’s economic success translates into improved quality of life for residents, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He added that the two pillars would guide the state’s long-term development strategy so economic gains are tangible to the people.
“Selangor has consistently recorded strong macroeconomic achievements, including its contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP), but the next phase of development must focus on delivering those gains directly to the people.
“In RS-2, there are two key matters that I will present. The first is macroeconomic development, and the second is how we narrow the gaps between districts.
“The macroeconomic figures speak for themselves, in terms of our economic capability, GDP contribution and many other indicators. The question now is how the state government ensures those achievements are experienced by the people, including those in Sabak Bernam and other (rural) districts,” he told the Selangor State Legislative Assembly here today.
Amirudin was responding to Hulu Klang assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s question on how the state government plans to ensure dignified living for its residents.
The First Selangor Plan (RS-1) was the state’s five-year development framework implemented from 2021 to 2025 to drive post-pandemic economic recovery and strengthen the state’s long-term growth.
RS-2 will be tabled at the state assembly tomorrow.
Ensuring dignified living
Amirudin meanwhile said Selangor intends to shift its policy framework from just poverty eradication to ensuring dignified living.
He added that the concept of dignified living has five pillars — sufficient and ethical income, safe and affordable housing, accessible healthcare and quality education, comprehensive social safety nets for vulnerable groups, and a safe environment with opportunities for economic and social participation.
“We are not only looking at income figures, but also how that income is generated. A dignified economy means people do not have to sell their bodies or engage in criminal activities simply to survive,” he explained.
He said district-level disparities remain a key challenge despite encouraging wage growth in some areas.
“Although Sabak Bernam recorded the highest rise in median household income of about RM1,500 under RS-1, the income remains at around RM6,000, compared with nearly RM12,000 in Petaling.
“This is why we must create more employment opportunities and attract investments to districts that are still lagging behind.”
He also said investment trends are gradually shifting towards northern Selangor, adding that future initiatives would assess dignified living at the district level to enable more targeted policies, including support for business opportunities and other measures that can sustainably raise household incomes.
“Previous poverty eradication programmes successfully reduced hardcore poverty to around 0.9 per cent and relative poverty to 8.5 per cent, but RS-2 would adopt a broader approach centred on improving residents’ overall standard of living, rather than relying solely on poverty statistics,” Amirudin explained.
