KUALA LUMPUR: The government will ensure that the economic corridor authorities (PBK) fulfil their role as outlined, without overlapping with the responsibilities of other agencies, said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.
He explained that the role of the PBK is to provide direction and formulate policies and strategies that promote and accelerate the development of the economic corridor region.
“That function will continue, but tasks handled by other departments will remain within their respective jurisdictions.
“At the Ministry of Economy, we use the PBK to allocate funds for specific initiatives,“ he said during the winding-up session of the 2025 Supply Bill at the committee stage for the Ministry of Economy in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Rafizi also noted that the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) needs to work closely with the Public Accounts Committee to ensure that the investment processes received are carried out with better governance.
“There are regular meetings between MIDA and PBK that I preside over, which have never occurred before. The matter was discussed collaboratively, like ‘siblings,‘ to avoid siloing between these departments,“ he added.
Meanwhile, Rafizi announced that the agricultural census has been fully completed, and the Ministry of Economy is aligning the data with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. This process is expected to take a few months, with the findings set to be presented in the first quarter of next year.
He also mentioned that discussions are ongoing regarding the presentation of the Agricultural White Paper in Parliament, as this is the first time the country’s food security situation has been assessed in two decades.
Regarding the blue economy, which focuses on the sea, fisheries, and related sectors, Rafizi said the ministry would implement and finalise a study on the blue economy with an allocation of RM2.45 million.
The Dewan Rakyat subsequently approved the Supply Bill 2025 at the committee stage for the ministry, with an allocation of RM600 million after receiving majority votes.
Earlier, 16 government and opposition Members of Parliament participated in the committee stage debate session.
