1MALAYSIA

While at Hua Hin for the ASEAN Summit, just hours after the 2010 budget presentation in Parliament, I decided to call for a meeting to discuss the budget implementation. This decision is unprecedented: usually the budget implementation is left up to the Ministry of Finance to execute and monitor. However, I believe that as the Prime Minister of all Malaysians, it is vital that I personally supervise the effectuation of the first budget under my administration.

The main objective of the meeting was to study the implementation strategy for the 2010 National Budget and to troubleshoot problem areas at the start. Present at the meeting last Friday were all cabinet ministers and representatives of the relevant agencies, including the Securities Commission, the Governor of Bank Negara, as well as representatives from development corridors and regions, Telekom, Petronas and other major GLCs. It was an arduous task to personally study each initiative, project by project, line by line, but I wanted to ensure all accountable parties are clear on the objectives and goals of each initiative, hence ensuring proper implementation.

The progress of projects listed in the Budget will be monitored closely by the Project Management Unit (PMU) in the Ministry of Finance with the support of the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) to identify and resolve any roadblocks delaying the completion of these projects. I have also impressed upon the custodians of these initiatives the importance of maintaining proper communications between federal and state authorities to quickly resolve land issues or other issues concerning the state government.

To ensure the integrity of the implementation, findings tabled by the Implementation Coordination Unit will be reported via the Economic Council. All these efforts are put in place so the country remains on course to achieve its 2010 GDP target. It is also in line with the government's commitment to deliver according to the People First, Performance Now concept.

I hope that from the meeting on Friday, there is no doubt of my serious intention to see the goals of the 2010 Budget achieved and the government delivery system improve for the long-term benefit of the Rakyat.