Eleventh Malaysia Plan

Eleventh Malaysia Plan
Name	Eleventh Malaysia Plan
Native name	Rancangan Malaysia Kesebelas
Period	2016–2020
Preceding	Tenth Malaysia Plan
Succeeding	Twelfth Malaysia Plan
Launched	21 May 2015
Launched by	Najib Razak
Administered by	Economic Planning Unit (Malaysia) under Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia)
Total budget	RM 297 billion (development expenditure)
Focus	Poverty reduction, inclusive growth, infrastructure, human capital, productivity

Eleventh Malaysia Plan

The Eleventh Malaysia Plan was a five-year national development blueprint for Malaysia covering 2016–2020, launched by Najib Razak and prepared by the Economic Planning Unit (Malaysia) under the Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia). The plan aimed to transition Malaysia toward high-income status, addressing structural issues identified in preceding frameworks such as the Tenth Malaysia Plan and aligning with regional dynamics exemplified by ASEAN Economic Community. It set quantifiable targets across income, infrastructure, human capital, and fiscal policy while interacting with institutions like the Ministry of Finance (Malaysia), Bank Negara Malaysia, and multilateral partners including the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

Background and planning

Development of the plan followed analytical reviews by the Economic Planning Unit (Malaysia), consultations with stakeholders including state governments of Selangor, Johor, Penang, and civil society groups such as the Malaysian Trades Union Congress and Malaysian Employers Federation. Historical precedents included the New Economic Policy (Malaysia), the Vision 2020 framework championed by Mahathir Mohamad, and statistical inputs from the Department of Statistics Malaysia and reports by the International Monetary Fund. Planning reflected geopolitical and economic trends tied to China–Malaysia relations, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and commodity price shocks witnessed during the 2014–2015 oil decline. Academic critiques from Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and think tanks like the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Malaysia) influenced scenario-building.

Key objectives and targets

The plan articulated macro targets referencing indicators tracked by Bank Negara Malaysia and the Department of Statistics Malaysia: raise median household income toward levels noted in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports, reduce absolute poverty as defined in national poverty lines influenced by World Bank methodology, and increase productivity per worker compared to benchmarks from Singapore and South Korea. Sectoral targets mirrored goals in infrastructure comparable to projects such as the Kuala Lumpur–Singapore High Speed Rail proposal and urban transport schemes like Mass Rapid Transit (Malaysia). Human capital targets showed alignment with standards in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and health indicators monitored by the World Health Organization.

Policy measures and sectoral initiatives

Policy measures included fiscal allocations for flagship projects once discussed with the Ministry of Finance (Malaysia) and implementation bodies like Prasarana Malaysia Berhad and MYRAIL. Initiatives spanned affordable housing programs akin to schemes seen in Kuala Lumpur City Hall plans, technical and vocational education linked to curricula reform proposals from Ministry of Education (Malaysia) and partnerships with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Institut Latihan Perindustrian. Agricultural interventions referenced extension models from MARDI and trade facilitation aligned with commitments under World Trade Organization frameworks. Energy and sustainability measures interacted with operators such as Petroliam Nasional Berhad and regulatory agencies like the Energy Commission (Malaysia), while digital economy strategies connected with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and telecom players like Telekom Malaysia and Maxis.

Implementation and governance

Governance structures relied on inter-ministerial coordination through the Economic Planning Unit (Malaysia), ministerial task forces led by portfolios in the Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia), and public–private partnerships involving entities such as Khazanah Nasional and Permodalan Nasional Berhad. Implementation mechanisms referenced procurement procedures influenced by the Public Accounts Committee (Malaysia) and audit oversight from the Auditor General of Malaysia. State-level execution involved administrations in Sarawak and Sabah and coordination with local authorities including Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya and Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya. Financing combined development expenditure from the federal budget, bond issuances under guidance from Bank Negara Malaysia, and multilateral finance from the Asian Development Bank.

Monitoring, evaluation, and outcomes

Monitoring frameworks cited performance indicators maintained by the Economic Planning Unit (Malaysia) and periodic reviews presented to Parliament, including reports to committees such as the Public Accounts Committee (Malaysia) and the Budget Select Committee. Outcome assessment referenced statistical series from the Department of Statistics Malaysia and external evaluations by World Bank country reports and Asian Development Bank reviews. Measured outcomes included changes in median household income, productivity metrics compared with OECD members, infrastructure delivery similar to milestones in the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit project, and social indicators tracked by agencies like the Ministry of Health (Malaysia).

Criticisms and public response

Public and academic criticism drew from voices at Universiti Sains Malaysia, civil society groups like BERSIH 2.0, and opposition parties such as Pakatan Harapan and Democratic Action Party (Malaysia), focusing on perceived shortfalls in transparency, subsidy rationalization debated alongside 1Malaysia Development Berhad controversies, and regional equity concerns from leaders in Sabah and Sarawak. Media scrutiny by outlets including The Star (Malaysia), New Straits Times, and The Malaysian Insight highlighted disputes over project prioritization, fiscal sustainability debated with International Monetary Fund input, and implementation bottlenecks raised by municipal councils like Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur.

Category:Public policy of Malaysia