Malaysia is on a transformative growth path guided by the Madani Framework, aiming to build an inclusive and prosperous nation. This growth is not merely about development for its own sake; it focuses on achieving high-quality development. This emphasis on quality is often overlooked, as traditional development approaches typically focus on quantitative metrics such as GDP growth and infrastructure expansion.
In light of this, the 2024 Malaysia Stay & Build Programme aims to develop a set of innovative policy recommendations that would spur high-quality development in Malaysia.
High-quality development, a concept that varies by country signifies, in the Malaysian context, not only progress that improves the wellbeing of its population but also recognises the existential threats facing societies, and thus the potential to do more by capitalising on its cultural and geographical strengths. High-quality development transcends the over-reliance on conventional economic indicators such as GDP, labour productivity, and consumer spending. It prioritises the quality of progress, highlighting environmental protection, social fairness, access to basic needs, and the literacy and educational attainments of the population, thereby addressing the broader needs of all Malaysians.
As part of the programme, 20 young leaders from various organisations completed a classroom Module in Kuala Lumpur and as part of their experiential learning journey, travelled to Kuching, Sarawak for the project-based learning.
This report summarises the cohort’s project and fieldwork, during which they engaged with local community members and stakeholders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Through these interactions, the cohort gained valuable grassroots insights that have shaped the findings and recommendations presented in this report.
The field work required the cohorts to develop policy recommendations for four key focus areas: combating child malnutrition, developing quality teachers for the digital era, strengthening resilience against climate risks, and positioning Malaysia as a global biodiversity hub.
The cohort’s recommendations are organised in the following way:
- A unifying Vision for Malaysia, anchored on the concept of High-Quality Development
- Guiding Principles which describes broad objectives of each focus area
- Actionable Targets, each with measurable Indicators.
- A defining Innovation Idea that has the potential to reshape the landscape and drive transformative development, benefiting all Malaysians
The following summarise the overarching vision for Malaysia:
The Vision
To be an ASEAN leader by creating a model tropical economy, the foundations of which are: a healthy population, equitable access to quality education for all, effective environmental resource stewardship, a science-based approach to development and the use of appropriate technologies to deliver on a high-quality of life for all Malaysians
The cohort came up with a defining innovation idea that could change the landscape of the four focus areas. The innovation ideas are summarised below:
