BY: CHRISTOPHER FERNANDEZ
In what was considered a paradigm shift, a departure from other affirmative action policies, the Malaysian government took the bold step of establishing a vision for the future of the nation or what is better known as the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 (SPV30).
The aim and objective of SPV30 is not only to ensure that the country becomes a high income nation but that the economic spoils will be distributed equitably among all Malaysians especially those that are in the disadvantaged or marginalized category.
This is indeed timely as in the country today all segments of society are expressing needs and wants and clamouring for financial aid and assistance unlike in the past when only those in the low income group voiced this need.
SPV30 is a major initiative and it is hoped that the government will hold firm to their promise and help realise this vision as it is imperative that the current state of imbalanced wealth distribution be addressed as soon as possible.
Let every Malaysian, irrespective of race or religion, enjoy the economic growth of the country as a citizen and participate in building the nation together so that there will be no distrust and suspicion anymore among the major races of Malays, Chinese and Indians.
But while the initial furore of the unveiling of SPV30 was met with much excitement and enthusiasm, based on current ground realities and the feedback from the general public SPV30 needs to be fine-tuned and modified to suit the prevailing realities.
The current trend in Malaysia under the scenario of a Covid-19 pandemic is that there are growing numbers of needy and suffering people who require government intervention in their lives to boost their welfare and well-being.
It is hoped and the heartfelt wish of many Malaysians that SPV30 which is long overdue in formulation will iron out and solve the tricky, thorny issue of wealth distribution to the satisfaction of all citizens in the country.
-THE MALAYSIA VOICE
** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher