FORMER health minister Khairy Jamaluddin has clarified that the recent meeting he attended with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was to discuss the country’s economy.
The meeting was attended by several other prominent figures including former Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani and several other economic experts to provide input and ideas on the national economy.
“I would like to give the context through what I know. The Prime Minister is seeking opinions and input because he is aware that the national economic narrative is currently unclear, there is no national economic strategy that investors and the people themselves understand, that this is a Madani economic narrative,” the former Rembau MP explained.
“That is why, as discussed in the previous episode of the podcast, the Madani economy narrative will be announced this August and will be the ‘overarching’ narrative for the direction of the country’s economy.
“In the midst of preparing this document, the Prime Minister is currently meeting with as many individuals and groups as possible to generate input and ideas,” Khairy said in his podcast Keluar Sekejap alongside Shahril Hamdan that was released today (June 21).
On why he was invited to attend the discussion on the country’s economy, Khairy said it was due to his background in the field, in addition to having previously worked in a financial institution.
“Some asked why I was present when I was not even the finance minister or the economy minister before.
“Many of you also did not know about my background in the field of economics and having worked in financial institutions as well as my interest in the field of economics,” Khairy explained.
“Even before I was the health minister, in Cabinet discussions there were many discussions and Cabinet Papers that I would give my opinion on,” he said.
Khairy, who was also the former youth and sports minister, said that some short- and medium-term proposals may be taken into account and added that the hour-and-a-half meeting does not contain any political elements.
“Credit must be given to the Prime Minister because he listens a lot and he does not ‘dictate’ anything that is his point of view, and he appreciates that this is a meeting to listen to opinions from a third party or a third person point of view,” he remarked.
“We listed out some proposals that could be included in the Madani economic narrative plan, but the meeting had no political elements and was solely focused on the economy and ideas as well as concrete proposals.” – June 21, 2023
