SHAH ALAM – Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari may not have an economic background, but he has succeeded in driving Selangor to become the most advanced state and main contributor to the nation’s economy since helming the administrative leadership in 2018.
Several players in economics are of the view that the strict financial and economic management practiced by Amirudin has enabled him to govern the state well, as seen in its financial performance since the state government was taken over by Pakatan Harapan about 15 years ago.
Economic analyst Professor Dr Barjoyai Bardai, from Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, said Amirudin was wise to blend the traditional economic and financial management implemented by the previous Menteris Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, with fresh ideas, resulting in Selangor’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to increase to 25.5% last year.
He said that in the five years since 2018, through Amirudin’s economic planning, Selangor’s GDP contribution rose from 23.7% to 24.3% in 2020, a time when the country was threatened by the spread of Covid-19.
He said this was much better than the performance recorded during Azmin’s administration which was 23% and a drop from the 23.7% recorded during Khalid’s time as the Menteri Besar.
“With continuous prudent financial management, fiscal discipline, and good governance, we can also see the state’s reserve savings increased (up to RM3.4 billion), apart from surpassing its revenue target (through other investments),” he said.
Barjoyai said through Amirudin and his exco members’ vision, Selangor remained the preferred destination for investors in the manufacturing and service sectors.
“This, as well as its geographical advantage as the main gateway to Malaysia through two international airports, a container port, and highway network connectivity, has propelled Selangor to be Asean’s trade gateway.
“This is a privilege that other states may not enjoy and with these advantages, I see that Selangor is not only able to attract but is also able to choose or determine which sectors and industries have high added value to invest in the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, Invest Selangor Berhad (Invest Selangor) chief executive officer Datuk Hasan Azhari Idris, said that in terms of investment, Selangor last year was overall second with approved investments of RM60.1 billion, surpassing Sarawak‘s RM28.2 billion.
He said although Selangor was behind Johor, which recorded approved investments of RM70.6 billion in the same year, the state’s achievements should be commended after it successfully attracted 1,392 projects that resulted in 89,568 job opportunities in the manufacturing sector since 2018.
Hasan Azhari is also confident that the First Selangor Plan (RS-1) 2021-2025 conceived by Amirudin can be used as a guide to drive the state’s socioeconomic growth to a higher level for the next few years.
“RS-1 was developed based on short, medium, and long-term strategies and initiatives to achieve the vision of making Selangor a smart, prosperous, and habitable state by 2025,” he added.
Amirudin, who is the incumbent Sungai Tua assemblyman, was sworn in as Menteri Besar of Selangor on June 19, 2018.
In the state election on August 12, Amirudin, who will face a three-way fight for the seat is up against Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Muhammad Hanif Jamaluddin from PAS and G. Suman who is standing as an independent. – August 7, 2023