Balanced Development To Ensure Prosperity For Lower And Middle Income Groups

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 (Bernama) -- The government will ensure that there is balanced development between the urban and rural areas so that those in the lower and middle-income groups can enjoy the comforts of urban life, said Najib Razak. The Prime Minister said the balanced development would not only enable the high-income group to live comfortably in towns but others such as civil servants could also live comfortably and in prosperity. "Today, more than 60 per cent of the population live in big and small towns. "That is why as we implement rural development, we must also balance the facilities and development in the urban areas so that town living is not only for the high-income group while those who are wage earners, low and middle-income groups could not live in comfort in the urban areas," he said. Najib said this while addressing about 10,000 people who attended the official opening of the new Public Works Department (PWD) quarters at here Saturdya. He said that under the government transformation and economic transformation agendas, a prosperous urban life was also an important agenda where the government introduced numerous initiatives to raise the quality of life in the urban areas. Among the important aspects that were given emphasis were the provision of the public transport service through the construction of the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) as well as other initiatives such as the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M), 1Malaysia Public Unit Trust Scheme, and the 1Malaysia Public Housing (PR1M), he said. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the construction of the PWD quarters to replace the previous one was to ensure that civil servants enjoyed better living. "When we say that we are championing the cause of the people, civil servants are also included in this category because they are the ones who are the implementers of the various programmes and facilities for our benefit. "Thus, it's appropriate that they enjoy a better quality of life that we can provide," he said. In addition, the PWD quarters also reflected a significant transformation in urbanisation in the country, Najib added. -- BERNAMA