He said the political stability achieved so far would help the country strengthen its economy for the next two to three years.

“Our priority for 2024 is certainly, the economy, economy, economy,” he said during an engagement session with the media here.

Anwar said Putrajaya will be placing a lot of emphasis on several changes and reforms.

He added that it will not only be on national energy transition and digital transformation, but also on efforts to enhance the proficiency of the Malay language and the use of English in the education system.

He said all this, including increased upskilling of the people through programmes such as the technical and vocational education and training (TVET), play an important role in spurring economic growth.

“The priority is to strengthen the economy, whether with domestic (or) foreign investments. This, in turn, is related to (good) governance and ease of doing business, the speed of granting approvals, and reducing the bureaucratic red tape,” he added.

“So, our priority is not just to manage this country, but also to rectify, improve, and enhance it. Even though we have criticised previous initiatives, there’s still a good foundation and we haven’t deteriorated to the point of complete ruin. We only try to correct those weaknesses.”

Anwar said he expects to see record-high foreign investments next year, coupled with expedited approvals.

He said several companies from the US, Europe and Asean had told him that they chose to invest in Malaysia not only due to its political stability, but also its workforce, professionalism and ease of doing business.

“But they did say that the time taken to obtain approvals is longer than usual.

“The best in Asean, other than Singapore, is Malaysia and Vietnam.

“At times, Vietnam is faster. So I told our guys that we will no longer tolerate another day (of delay).”

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