Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697805244493.pdf (Malaysia)
PARLIAMENT MALAYSIA THE FIRST MEETING OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT 25 JUNE 2013 ROYAL ADDRESS BY HIS MAJESTY SERI PADUKA BAGINDA YANG DI-PERTUAN AGONG ALMU’TASIMU BILLAHI MUHIBBUDDIN TUANKU ALHAJ ABDUL HALIM MU’ADZAM SHAH IBNI ALMARHUM SULTAN BADLISHAH Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Rahiim Alhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘Alamin Wabihi Nasta’iin Assalamualaikum Warahmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh and Greetings President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Members of the Senate and Members of House of Representatives.
1 Alhamdulillah, We express Our utmost gratitude to Allah Almighty, for it is with His Munificence, and with His Leave, that all of us are gathered here today for the Opening Ceremony of the First Session of the Thirteenth Parliament.

2.

We are thankful that the Thirteenth General Election had taken place peacefully.
Our appreciation goes to all parties especially the Election Commission, security forces and members of the Public Service who had played their respective roles in ensuring the smooth conduct of the general election.

We are grateful to all citizens who had exercised their rights and fulfilled their responsibility in electing a Government to govern the country.

3.
3.

We call upon all parties to accept and respect the result of the Thirteenth General Election which was held in accordance with the tenets of democracy, and to cooperate and strive together to propel the country towards achieving a high-income developed nation by 2020.
The Government’s commitment in realising the national transformation agenda through the National Key Result Areas (NKRA) and National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) will impact positively all levels of society in the economic, social, security and political spheres.

In achieving this agenda, Our Government will place further emphasis on accountability, integrity, adherence to law and order as well as good governance.

4.

We congratulate all Members of Parliament who have been elected by the people.
It is Our hope that all Honourable Members would serve with dedication and integrity, consistently portraying exemplary conduct to 2 uphold dignity, religion, the sanctity of Parliament and our beloved country.

Honourable Members, your presence in this august House is indeed an obligation to fulfil the promises made to the people.
We call upon all Honourable Members to work together to ensure continued peace, stability and prosperity; to improve the people’s well-being; and to strengthen unity among the people of diverse ethnicity and religion, whilst the people too should also play their role and work together to assist the Government to realise this trust.

5.

We congratulate the Prime Minister and his Cabinet for their success in forming the Government.
We are confident that this Government would strive to achieve the objective of becoming a high-income developed nation by 2020.

6.

The Raja Permaisuri Agong and I would like to take this opportunity to extend our condolences to the families of the security personnel who had sacrificed their lives while defending the country against the attack by the Sulu insurgents in Lahad Datu and Semporna, Sabah in March this year.
The contribution, service and sacrifice of the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Royal Malaysian Police, civilians and all parties involved in maintaining security in east Sabah are highly regarded and appreciated.

In ensuring the security and sovereignty of the nation, Our Government has established the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) and Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE).

3 Honourable Members, 7.


We are very pleased that during Our previous and this second reign, We have witnessed the progressive development of this country.

Malaysia has transformed into a modern industrialised country with a moderately high income, and is now poised to become a high-income developed nation with emphasis on the well-being of the people.

8.

The global uncertainties, including the European debt crisis in 2012, had indirectly impacted the country’s economic growth.
However, Our Government through various initiatives has managed to place our economy on the right track.

9.

Malaysia’s competitiveness at the global level has also improved as reported in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2013 which ranked the country as the 12th most business-friendly nation.

The country was ranked 10th as the world’s most preferred destination for foreign direct investment in the Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index 2012.
The World Competitiveness Yearbook 2013 published by the Institute for Management Development (IMD) has recognised our economy as the most competitive among 30 countries with gross domestic product per capita of less than USD20,000, while Malaysia ranked second in the ASEAN region and seventh in the world for economic performance.

10.

We would like to congratulate the country for its excellent achievements in 2012.
We hope that this year, Malaysia will achieve the 4 national economic growth target of between 5 to 6 percent.

We are also pleased with the performance of FBM KLCI which reached an all time high of 1,788.43 points on 14 May 2013 as well as the Government’s successful efforts in attracting approved investment amounting to RM49.3 billion in the first 3 months of this year, which is an increase of 44 percent compared to the same period last year.

11.
11.

The private sector is poised to take on a more important role in generating economic growth.

Our Government will continue to facilitate and create a conducive environment for the private sector to further drive the economy.

Malaysia’s aspiration to be a high-income developed nation hinges on technological advancement and its capability to innovate.

With this in mind, Our Government will continue intensifying research and development as well as commercialisation activities.

12.
12.

The Government is committed to attracting more high value and high technology investments to enhance Malaysia’s position as producer of innovative and creative products and services.

In this regard, the Government will strive to provide and develop a more favourable ecosystem for investors.

Honourable Members, 13.

We commend the Government’s initiative in undertaking a comprehensive transformation of the national education system through the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025.
This Blueprint aims to improve 5 the education system that will generate knowledgeable and skilled human capital, capable of contributing towards the well-being of individuals, family, society and country.

We hope that all parties, regardless of their background would play their roles in making the transformation a success.

14.
14.

Our Government will intensify its effort to elevate Centres of Excellence at public institutions of higher learning to international standards, and enhance high-impact research in strategic fields.

Meanwhile, the Student Holistic Development Agenda will focus on the Undergraduate Entrepreneurial and Volunteer Programme.

The Talent Roadmap 2020 has also been launched to address issues relating to human capital availability in spearheading the country’s economic transformation.

Honourable Members, 15.


Malaysia has been recognised as one of the best tourist destinations in the world.

For example, Kuala Lumpur is rated fourth best shopping destination in the world, according to CNN Travel 2012.

In addition, the Rural Homestay Programme was awarded first place by the Ulysses World Tourism Organisation 2012.

We call upon the people to continue their support for the tourism industry by nurturing a positive tourist-friendly culture especially during Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

16.
16.

Our Government has formulated the National Commodity Policy to transform and strengthen the plantation and commodity sector, which represents one of the core thrusts of the national economy.

This policy is 6 designed, among others, to increase revenue of export commodities from RM113 billion in 2010 to RM242 billion by 2020, which will also benefit smallholders.

17.
17.

Our Government views seriously the importance of ensuring food security due to vulnerability of the sector to climate change and fluctuating prices in the global market.

Thus, the holistic approach in developing the agro-food industry will be continued, including the opening of four new granary areas in the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.

Honourable Members, 18.


The Public Service has played a major role in realising the National Transformation Policy comprising the Government, Economic, Political and Social Transformation Programmes.

These programmes have contributed significantly towards economic growth and the well-being of the people.

We hope that civil servants will seek continuous improvement in service delivery which is characterised by speed, accuracy and integrity as well as emphasising productivity, creativity and innovation.
19.

We are proud of the Government’s success in reducing the poverty rate to 1.7 percent last year, ahead of the target set in the Tenth Malaysia Plan to reduce the overall poverty rate to 2 percent by 2015.

Various programmes and initiatives will be further implemented in rural areas, among others by stepping up efforts for competitive and progressive economic development which will be supported by the setting up of 7 infrastructure for the people.
Our Government will further enhance the Rural Transformation Programme by increasing the number of the Rural Transformation Centres.

The Government will also continue its programme to increase the income level and quality of life of the bottom 40 percent of households, including the Orang Asli and the ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak.

20.
20.

The FELDA Transformation Programme will be continued, among others by enhancing training and education programmes for the new generation so that they will be more skillful, innovative and of high quality.

FELDA will expand its housing plan via Sentuhan Kasih Programme, as a way to ensure the new generation will remain in the settlement and participate in its economic development.

Honourable Members, 21.


In line with the Government’s aspiration to enable the people to own a house, Our Government, with private sector cooperation will build one million affordable houses including 500,000 units under the 1Malaysia People Housing Programme.

The housing needs of civil servants will also be addressed through the 1Malaysia Civil Servants’ Housing Programme.

Loan requirements for My First Home Scheme have also been relaxed so that more will benefit from it.
We hope the people in urban and rural areas will benefit from these schemes.

Concurrently, basic amenities in housing estates are being upgraded in order to improve the quality of life and security of residents.

8 22.

To encourage a healthy lifestyle and early prevention of chronic diseases, Our Government has provided free health-screening service for non-communicable diseases at government hospitals and health clinics including 1Malaysia Clinics.
Dental clinics have also been set up for the convenience of the people at Urban and Rural Transformation Centres.

Honourable Members, 23.

The contribution by all levels of society, including youths who represent 46 percent of the Malaysian population is greatly appreciated.

Realising the potential, aspirations and importance of this group in nation-building, the transformation of youth development will continue to be implemented.
This includes, among others, the creation of the Youth Parliament of Malaysia, as a platform for youths to express their opinions.

Besides that, the Government will bring forth volunteer programmes into the mainstream helmed by the 1Malaysia For Youth.

The New Entrepreneur Foundation has been formed to train and guide young entrepreneurs in the field of information and communication technology, as well as the establishment of Young Entrepreneurs Fund to help start businesses.

24.
24.

A strong family institution is vital for social stability.

Thus, the 1Malaysia Family First Programme is introduced with the aim to strengthen the family institution by nurturing happy, healthy and close-knit families.

Under this initiative, resources of the Government, private sector and non- governmental agencies will be consolidated to ensure effective delivery of family-oriented services.

9 25.
9 25.

We are confident that women can rise to the challenge and continue to maximise their potential to contribute more significantly to the future of the country.

We encourage smart partnerships with private and non- governmental bodies towards elevating the economic status of this group.
The Government will accelerate efforts to achieve the target of 30 percent women in decision-making positions in the corporate sector and encourage more women professionals to return to the job market to achieve the 55 percent target of women in the workforce by 2015.

Honourable Members, 26.

The Government is committed towards improving the public transportation system, not only to make it more efficient for the convenience of the people, but also to drive economic growth.
Among the reforms and initiatives being implemented are the development of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and the KLIA 2 Terminal, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

However, We are deeply concerned about the rate of road accidents that have caused the loss of productive human resources and property exceeding RM9 billion annually.

Road users should support the measures undertaken by the Government to reduce accidents in the country.

27.
27.

Public order and national security will remain a priority of the Government.

Our Government will not spare any effort in bridging the gap between perception and reality regarding the country’s security.

On the international front, the Government will not cease to counter transborder crimes through increased strategic alliances with other countries.

10 28.

We commend the Government for its continuous role in steering corruption prevention initiatives.
The establishment of institutions, laws, policies and relevant mechanisms has made Malaysia among reference countries in the fight against corruption.

Our Government has also implemented the Corporate Integrity Pledge to foster a fair, transparent and corruption-free business environment.

Efforts will also be further intensified to strengthen institutions related to good governance in order to enhance the efficiency of the Government delivery system.

29.
29.

Our Government is dedicated to upholding Islam with the Maqasid Syariah (objectives of Syariah) as a thrust, and will safeguard Islam as the religion of the Federation.

We hope that the position of Islam will not be questioned or manipulated to serve partisan interests such that it can cause Muslims to deviate from their faith.

We call upon the people to dispel elements that will lead to discord and instead seek to nurture understanding and unity.

30.
30.

We are very pleased that Malaysia continues to forge good relations with all countries.

It is Our hope too that through the concept of the Global Movement of the Moderates, Malaysia will continue to play an important role in enhancing ASEAN cooperation while promoting peace and well- being for the people in the region and the world.
We commend the steadfast commitment of the Government and the people of Malaysia in providing support and assistance to the Palestinian people in their struggle to regain their rights as an independent and sovereign nation.

11 Honourable Members, 31.

We would like to remind the Honourable Members of this august House to pledge undivided loyalty to the country while preserving, safeguarding and defending the Federal Constitution.

Refrain from doing anything detrimental to the country.
A country destroyed by conflicts or economic crisis may not be able to recover in good time.

Therefore, We urge all Honourable Members to close ranks and cooperate for the sake of the development and progress of the country.

32.

We appreciate the loyalty, dedication, sincerity and the contribution of the Public Service and all parties towards national development and prosperity.
We are equally grateful to the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Royal Malaysian Police and all other enforcement agencies for their sacrifices in maintaining national security, peace and sovereignty.

33.

Lastly, the Raja Permaisuri Agong and I pray that this beloved country of ours will continue to progress and prosper, stay united and peaceful by the grace of Allah Al-Mighty.

Wabillahi Taufik Walhidayah, Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh.

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