ECER Development Council (ECERDC) CEO Baidzawi Che Mat said the plan will address all matters related to the findings of the AG’s report and will be acted upon accordingly,” he told Bernama when asked to comment on the report which highlighted several issues under the first ECER Master Plan (EMP 1.0).
Baidzawi said ECERDC has also reviewed its targets under EMP 2.0 and is constantly assessing current employment trends among investors to ensure a more realistic jobs target.
He said that under EMP 1.0, ECERDC had surpassed its committed investment target of RM110 billion by 2018, hitting RM111.3 billion.
However, he said there was a shortfall in job creation.
“With the RM66.6 billion realised investments to date or 60% of the committed amount and its Human Capital Development (HCD) programme implementation, the agency has created over 88,000 jobs and 27,000 business opportunities versus the expected 200,000 jobs and 60,000 business opportunities,” he noted.
Baidzawi explained that the adoption of automation and a shift towards high-value investments also resulted in fewer jobs than anticipated.
“However, a lack of key infrastructure projects has also been an issue,” he said.
Of the 109 projects and programmes planned during the period between the 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP) to the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), a total of 99 projects (90.8%) have been successfully implemented, as reflected in the AG’s report.
He also said the realised investments amounting to RM66.6 billion until 2018 have contributed to a 1.8% increase in the region’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Turning to key infrastructure projects, Baidzawi said the completion of the Kuantan Port expansion in 2018 and the ongoing East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, set to start operations by 2027, are key developments that will enhance the region’s appeal for future investments.
Measuring socio-economic impact
The audit found that no database has been set up to measure the socio-economic achievements of target groups in the ECER region.
As a result, the projects and programmes’ success cannot be assessed, and ECERDC lacks a method to accurately measure poverty rates and income levels in the east coast states.
The audit has recommended that the ministry of economy, ECERDC, and the related parties review the objectives, functions, and roles of ECERDC.
In response to the findings, Baidzawi said that ECERDC uses an internal dashboard to track key performance indicators such as committed investments, realised investments, job creation, and entrepreneurial development quarterly, with reports submitted to the council.
For socio-economic progress, Baidzawi noted that ECERDC relies on data from the statistics department, e-Kasih, and i-Damak.
“We are enhancing our internal data measurement systems and will use the central database hub (PADU) data in the future, “he said.