logo
Malaysia and Singapore boost ties in GovTech, housing, and public sector reform

Malaysia and Singapore boost ties in GovTech, housing, and public sector reform

The Sun2 days ago
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Singapore are deepening cooperation in three key areas – GovTech, public housing, and public sector reforms – to improve public service efficiency.
The initiative follows discussions during Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar's three-day working visit to Singapore.
Shamsul Azri highlighted Singapore's expertise in GovTech as a model for Malaysia, which is in the early stages of implementation.
'We want to learn from Singapore, especially in GovTech, where they have already made progress. We are still launching our own system,' he said.
Affordable housing was another focus, with Malaysia keen to adopt best practices from Singapore's Housing Board.
'Their public housing system is efficient, and we aim to replicate that success,' he added.
The third area of collaboration is public sector reform. Shamsul Azri noted Singapore's openness to sharing knowledge.
'Singapore welcomed our proposals, and we held productive discussions on strengthening government cooperation,' he said.
Speaking at the Sports Carnival of the Alumni Association of MRSM Malaysia (ANSARA Malaysia), Shamsul Azri also emphasized the importance of healthy living. Citing Singapore's higher life expectancy of 84 years compared to Malaysia's 73-74 years, he urged Malaysians to adopt better lifestyle habits.
'Prevention is better than cure. Taking care of health early is crucial,' he said. - Bernama
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

New Zealand Increases Postgraduate Scholarships for Malaysians
New Zealand Increases Postgraduate Scholarships for Malaysians

Barnama

timean hour ago

  • Barnama

New Zealand Increases Postgraduate Scholarships for Malaysians

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 Bernama) -- More Malaysians will now have the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies in New Zealand following an increase in the number of Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship offered to Malaysians. The New Zealand High Commission in Malaysia, in a statement o Tuesday, said the allocation for Malaysians has been increased from two to 39 per year for the next three years, as announced by New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings, held here on July 10. The High Commission said the expanded offering also marks a strategic milestone in bilateral relations as both countries seek to strengthen ties in education and trade.

Nga demands apology from MyKiosk 'White Elephants' critics
Nga demands apology from MyKiosk 'White Elephants' critics

Sinar Daily

timean hour ago

  • Sinar Daily

Nga demands apology from MyKiosk 'White Elephants' critics

KUALA LUMPUR - Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming has called on those who labelled the MyKiosk initiative is a 'white elephant' project to apologise. He said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation, which found no elements of corruption or abuse of power in the programme's implementation, clearly demonstrated that the Housing and Local Government Ministry's (KPKT) efforts to carry out government policies should not be subjected to unfounded accusations. "KPKT took the initiative to invite MACC to conduct an investigation. It was not MACC that approached us. We went to MACC and submitted all the documents for review. MACC has since issued a statement confirming that there was no abuse of power, no criminal element, and no corruption involved,' he said. "I demand, on behalf of KPKT staff who work tirelessly to serve the people, that those who have made baseless claims and slander come forward and apologise. The sacrifices of these civil servants must be acknowledged and not tarnished by unfounded allegations,' he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today. He was responding to a question from Onn Abu Bakar (PH-Batu Pahat), who had asked for the latest statistics on the implementation of the MyKiosk 2.0 programme and the status of the Batu Pahat Municipal Council Stadium upgrade project, including its scope of work, costs involved, and expected completion date Nga said the implementation of MyKiosk has shown encouraging results, with MyKiosk 1.0 achieving a 91.75 per cent occupancy rate, while MyKiosk 2.0 has reached 86.78 per cent. This success has positively transformed the lives of 7,243 hawkers and petty traders across the country. He also highlighted success stories of MyKiosk traders, such as a hawker selling 'ayam gunting' at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) Square who now earns up to RM30,000 a month, as well as food and soymilk traders who have doubled their income to RM18,000 a month after joining the programme. "This is a testament to the success of reforms aimed at helping hawkers. It proves that MyKiosk not only provides physical facilities but also serves as a catalyst for economic growth by creating sustainable business opportunities,' he said. However, Nga acknowledged that there were some shortcomings in the programme's earlier implementation. To address this, his ministry has introduced a 'traffic light' evaluation system to monitor the performance of local authorities (PBTs). Through this system, any PBT receiving a green rating will be categorised as having excellent performance and will receive increased allocations, while those with a yellow rating will have their allocations reviewed. "If the light is red, the allocation will be cancelled, and the head of the PBT will be summoned by the Local Government Department to receive a reprimand and provide an explanation for failing to implement government policies. "We will continue to monitor to ensure that the well-being of the people, the welfare of hawkers, consumer comfort, and environmental sustainability are all prioritised under the MADANI Economy framework," he said. Meanwhile, regarding the Batu Pahat Municipal Council Stadium upgrade project, Nga said the project is expected to commence early next year and be completed by the end of the same year. He said the RM3.5 million project is currently in the process of appointing a consultant. "The scope of work includes upgrading the field drainage system, resurfacing the field, and constructing a new running track,' he said. - BERNAMA

Tomorrow's the day: Is Malaysia about to get a four-day work week?
Tomorrow's the day: Is Malaysia about to get a four-day work week?

Sinar Daily

time3 hours ago

  • Sinar Daily

Tomorrow's the day: Is Malaysia about to get a four-day work week?

SHAH ALAM – Could tomorrow be the day Malaysians clock out early for good? After nearly a week of suspense and speculation, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is finally set to make his much-anticipated 'extraordinary appreciation' announcement tomorrow. The news was confirmed by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who posted a teaser on his Facebook page earlier today. This follows Anwar's own words last Saturday, during an event at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Permatang Pauh in Penang where he hinted at something extraordinary for Malaysians, urging people to "just give me a little more time." Now, that time is almost here and netizens are not keeping calm. "Heard the government wants to implement four working days a week. If that's true, it would be great, Malaysians have been waiting for this for a long time,' Mia Maliqa wrote on Facebook. The idea of a four-day workweek isn't new, but it's never been closer to becoming reality, at least that's what the internet hopes. Another netizen, Syajaratulain Abdur Rahman, expressed hope that the Prime Minister's announcement would be fair and inclusive for all Malaysians. 'Hopefully, the appreciation announcement from the Prime Minister for all Malaysians will be implemented fairly. May no one be left out of receiving its benefits,' she wrote. The official announcement will be made tomorrow and is expected to be broadcast live across national platforms.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store