The making of the Plan
As Malaysians go about studying every detail in the 9MP, they should know that the process of putting together this comprehensive blueprint took over a year and involved hundreds of meetings.

6% growth projected
The Malaysian economy is projected to grow by an average of 6% annually under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

Total trade to breach RM1 trillion
Total trade is expected to breach RM1 trillion during the 9MP period.

Surplus set to increase to RM10.6b in 2010
The consolidated public sector account is expected to register an overall surplus of RM79.1bil or 2.5% to the gross domestic product (GDP) during the 9MP period.

Competitiveness vital
Investments from the technology- and innovation-driven industries are expected to be the main driver for the manufacturing sector's overall growth, which in turn could contribute to greater exports and generate more employment opportunities in the country.

RM28.6bil savings from privatisation
The Government made savings of RM28.6bil in capital expenditure from the privatisation programme under the 8th Malaysia Plan (8MP).

Services industries to be expanded
The Government plans to expand the supplementary business and services industries to maximise the manufacturing sector's growth potential.

Liberalisation efforts
The financial services sector is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 7% under the 9MP, with its share of gross domestic product growing to 15.8% by 2010 and employment expanding at an average rate of 2.5% per year.

Fostering a global Islamic financial hub
By 2010, the Islamic banking industry is expected to constitute 20% of the overall banking and insurance market.

Further deregulation in insurance industry
The Government will introduce more deregulatory and liberalisation measures in the insurance industry.

Giving the banking sector ‘a caring face’
How does AmBank Group see itself playing a role in nation-building under the 9MP?

Modern farming
The Government has allocated RM11.4bil under the 9MP to transform the agriculture sector into a modern, dynamic and competitive sector.

Creating wealth by using biotechnology
Biotechnology is poised to drive the next wave of knowledge-based industries that will contribute to growth and wealth creation, new investment and employment opportunities, as well as deliver social and environmental benefits.

Special focus on greens production
The Government aims to increase agricultural production through measures such as new land development, replanting, and land consolidation and rehabilitation.

Keeping an eye on the big four
There are four sources of growth in the ICT (information and communications technology) sector that the Government intends to focus its efforts on.

28.96m people in 2010
The country's population will reach 28.96 million in 2010, based on a projection growth of an average of 1.6% per year.

MSC to go into phase 2
The Multimedia Super Corridor will go into its second phase with the inception of the 9th Malaysia Plan. Development of existing MSC cybercities will continue, and newly-identified cybercentres in Perak, Malacca, Johor and Sarawak will also be developed. This should bring another 250 multinational companies into the MSC.

Making plans to boost ICT sector
The 9th Malaysia Plan will help the Government boost the adoption of ICT (information communcations technology) in the country.

Leaps to close that gap
In order to bridge the so-called “digital divide,” the Government intends to change the mindset of rural communities towards ICT (information and communications technology) usage.

Company’s 3G plans for the future
For Celcom (M) Bhd, the 9MP is going to be extra significant as it’s enhanced services will be further developed during the five-year period.

Towards a skilled ICT workforce
Malaysia intends to organise more development programmes to meet the increasing demand for highly skilled ICT workers in the country.

Enhancing Malaysia’s position as a global hub
The Government will strengthen Malaysia’s worldwide position as a preferred destination for ICT (information and communications technology) investment and a market leader for ICT solutions.

Bulk of RM10.28bil for disease prevention
A sum of RM10.28bil will be allocated for health sector development, according to the 9MP.

Patients want better healthcare
People needing medical treatment, especially for the long-term care, have a plea – Please give us better healthcare under the 9MP.

Create a National Health Authority
Privatising medical and health care may be a natural progression in government business but the Government must also ensure there is a National Health Authority that that will monitor healthcare provisions and to meet public’s health and medical needs.

Comprehensive health coverage
After a couple of postponements, the National Health Financing will be finally implemented with comprehensive health coverage becoming accessible to all Malaysians during the 9MP.

Telehealth services pilot project
The government has selected Seberang Prai to implement its telehealth services pilot project under the 9MP.

Need for healthier lifestyles
There is a dire need for the government to seriously address the apathy among Malaysians when it comes to fitness.

Three new institutes
Three medical institutes namely the National Institute for Cancer at Hospital Putrajaya, a National Forensic Institute and the National Institute for Oral Health are in the pipeline under the 9MP.

Stress on vital role Mother Nature plays
”Do you know that the environment plays a crucial role in providing ecological services to all of us for our very survival?”

Environs monitoring to be stepped up
Environmental monitoring and stewardship will be stepped up under the 9MP.

Stress on positive values
An allocation of RM 442.4 mil would be provided for culture, arts and heritage programmes, with 63% used for preservation and conservation of cultural heritage and the balance for implementing various arts and culture programmes at state and district levels under the 9MP.

Ex-child hero hopes villagers will also benefit
Kampung Losong hero Mohamed Nor Omar is hoping there will be something in store for the villagers in the 9th Malaysia Plan.

RM11.6m less for culture
Artists are not going to happy when they find out the culture, arts and heritage allocation has been reduced by RM11.6mil under the 9MP.

Vital to link the past with the present and future
Making a meaningful and significant contribution to society in its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme is DiGi’s thrust for the 9MP.

Special fund for elders
Caring for the aged is a very Malaysian culture as everyone knows.

Helping to make Bangsa Malaysia a reality
Identifying oneself as Bangsa Malaysia does not mean that one forgets one's race, culture, heritage and other practices, said Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

Focus on empowerment and development
The 9MP will not only focus on programmes that will equip youths with good leadership qualities but those that will help develop them into wholesome and spiritual individuals with high moral values and good ethics.

Developing knowledgeable workers
A more holistic human capital development takes centre stage with an emphasis on knowledge and skills as well as strong moral and ethical values.

Two more sports schools
Sports development has received a major boost under the 9MP with RM620.8mil allocated to it.

Healthy lifestyle
Around half the population is expected to be involved in fitness and healthy lifestyle activities by 2010.

Becoming champions in life
Sports is synonymous with Milo. For generations, since the introduction of the brand in Malaysia in the early 50s,Milo has played a major role in the development of the Malaysian sports landscape, focussing on junior and grassroots sports, reaching out to children of all walks of life and races throughout the country.

Reducing regional imbalance
States placed below the national average on the Development Composite Index (DCI) will be given extra attention to reduce regional imbalance.

Love our rivers
Pupils of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Teloi Kanan in Kuala Ketil, Kedah, are taught to love their rivers as an awareness programme created by their school to teach them to preserve the environment.

Preserving Pahang’s natural assets
Pahang has all the natural assets for tourism but still needs to address many issues plaguing the fast emerging industry in the state.

Shift to public transport
Roads in the Klang Valley will see a drastic drop of private vehicles if the Government's plan to reduce the usage of private vehicle and increase public transport usage is realised within the next five years.

Lack of facilities crippling the disabled
It is not the disability that cripples the physically challenged; it is the lack of facilities that causes this group of people to be immobile, said activist and The Star columnist T. Anthony.

Expanded network
Allocation for airport infrastructure will see an increase of 61% from RM1.77bil to RM2.86bil under the 9MP whereas allocations for port infrastructure will see a decrease of 47% from RM2.44bil to RM1.29bil.

Carpooling keeps friends together
For Ngoi Shu Shan and her classmates, carpooling has not only helped them save on petrol consumption but also strengthened their relationship.

Greater empowerment of women
The Government will encourage the concept of the home office to encourage more women to be involved in business activities especially in agro-based industries, under the 9MP.

Emphasis on family and community development
A sum of RM842.5mil has been set aside for family and community development programmes under the 9MP. More than half of the allocation amounting to RM463.4mil will be utilised for welfare service programmes, which includes care, protection and rehabilitation of children, the disabled and the elderly.

Promote charm without harm
A sum of RM652mil had been set aside for sustainable tourism development to ensure preservation of natural habitats and environment under the 9MP.

1.1 million new jobs
Employment growth at 1.9% per year will create 1.1 million jobs, lower than the 3.2% per year achieved during the Eighth Malaysia Plan.

Aggressive strategy to lure tourists
Tourist arrivals to Malaysia are poised to reach 24.6 million by 2010, with the bulk of travellers comprising intra-regional tourists.

Bridging income gaps for equality
To achieve income parity in the longer term, efforts will be undertaken to reduce income gaps among ethnic communities as well as between rural and urban areas for more equitable distributions of the fruits of further economic growth in the country.

Projects to reduce pockets of poverty
The distributional agenda will be pursued more firmly to ensure the achievement of a more equitable distribution of the benefits of economic development by all Malaysians.

Competent labour
Cutting down red tape and improving competency of the public sector workforce are among the major thrusts identified by the Government in its efforts to enhance the public service delivery system.

Good governance for further growth
The Government will intensify its efforts to enhance the integrity and transparency of the public and private sectors during the Ninth Plan period and further improve the level of good governance in order to facilitate development.

Natural resources for healthy living
Policy makers, architects, and developers need to have a framework to protect the environment and promote sustainable development.

Bigger fund for research
A total of RM5,253.1mil will be allocated for Science, Technology and Innovation under the Ninth Malaysian Plan compared to RM3,337.9mil under the Eighth Malaysian Plan.

Push for low-cost houses
An allocation of RM9.5bil has been set aside to ensure that Malaysians, especially those in the low and low-medium income groups, will have access to adequate, quality and affordable housing.

Healthy competition and fair trade
Training programmes on modern retail and wholesale businesses will be made easy to bumiputra entrepreneurs.

Greater collaboration in store
Greater collaboration in research will be undertaken between public institutions of higher education and the local industry and research institutes as well as with reputable foreign research institutions, universities and firms.

Aiming for higher tertiary enrolment
Greater access to tertiary education will be provided to achieve the target of 40% participation rate of the age group IT-23 years in 2010.

Much change over the years
After her SPM, Maggie Yong had two options – nursing or teaching. She chose to become a teacher and has no regrets after over 20 years in the profession.

Drafting the early Plans
Clash of minds between policymakers from the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and Treasury Department over the amount of budget allocation seemed to take centre stage during the meetings for the preparation of the previous Malaysia Plans.

What ex-PMs said when launching previous Plans

Towards better health facilities
Malaysians can look forward to better health facilities with the implementation of the 9MP, which runs from 2006 until 2010.

Full text of the PM's 9MP speech to Parliament
Click here for the full text of the Prime Minister's speech on the Ninth Malaysia Plan to Parliament.

Full text of the Ninth Malaysia Plan
Click here for the full text of the Ninth Malaysia Plan.