PETALING JAYA: In light of the 15th general election (GE15), the Center for Market Education (CME) has called on the different coalitions to “show their cards” on the themes of investment ecosystem, labour market and economic slowdown.
On the investment ecosystem, CME CEO Dr Carmelo Ferlito (pix) said it is no mystery that the past years have been marked by a deterioration of Malaysia’s ability to nurture domestic and international investments.
“It is therefore necessary for political parties to indicate if they do believe in the need of rebuilding a business-friendly ecosystem by cutting red tape and lifting the government heavy hand on the economic system in order to create a sustainable growth path; furthermore, they need to indicate how they eventually intend to pursue such a target,” he said in a statement yesterday.
On the labour market, CME believes there is the need for an education reform to tackle the issue of underemployment, while more opportunities can be created with an Asean liberalisation of the movement of workers. What is the agenda of political parties at this regard?
On the economy, CME warned as early as in May 2021 that wrong choices embraced during the Covid-19 pandemic would bring the world to a fragile economic recovery followed by an inflation-led downturn, which is now aggravated by the evolution of the global geopolitical scenario.
“Will the competing coalitions face the economic wave which is coming with more controls and central direction or by embracing market-oriented reforms, and in particular reforming taxation and cutting government spending?”
Ferlito said the list does not exhaust the series of issues that the future government will have to face with courage, but it aims to serve as a starting point for a more content-based campaign.
“The new government will face challenging times, but desperation should not prevail: with the right approach and brave reforms, the economic system can be supported in its path through the fluctuations that are coming,“ he added.
