KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — Addressing inequality in Selangor while helping local companies expand to regional markets are among the state government’s priorities, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
“For the next 10 years, our challenge is twofold; broaden our horizon to Asia, and help Selangor’s SMEs (small and medium enterprises) make the next great leap to compete with the best in Southeast Asia.
“In today’s world, our challenge is not a lack of capital or equity. There is a massive amount of capital in the world. Our major problem is that large amounts of capital is in the hands of a few individuals while ordinary people toil five to six days a week to make ends meet.
“This has to change, and Selangor’s main aim is to (address inequalities); be it unequal salaries or unequal opportunities,” he said in his welcome address at the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) opening ceremony at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.
Amirudin added that for decades, many developing Asian countries have accepted a comfortable role of being “the factory floor of the world, the low-cost assembler, the sweatshop of the global supply chain and low wages”.
He said this is no longer acceptable, especially in Selangor.
“Selangor refuses to remain confined to low-margin back-end assembly. We are not interested in competing for who can offer the cheapest labour.
“We are competing for who can provide the sharpest minds, the most cutting-edge technology, investors who want to develop as partners and build sustainable equal relationships,” he said.
Amirudin added that it is high time for Malaysia, and Selangor in particular, to shift its trajectory from “Made in Malaysia” to “Designed and Engineered by Malaysia” in the next decade.
