SHAH ALAM: State Governments 4 (SG4) welcomes input and wisdom from all including political leaders such as DAP veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang to help respective states find investors.
Insisting that SG4 was not a political outfit, PAS vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (pic) said any individuals advising the four Perikatan Nasional-led states to improve their economic development would be beneficial.
"As I have mentioned before, this is way above politics. If we want to talk about politics or harping on our differences then we cannot move forward.
"The formation of SG4 is an added value to the current initiative by ministries and agencies to attract investments and achieve our target to develop the four states under Perikatan.
"We are open to views, recommendations and inputs from any quarters. If anyone including Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang wishes to provide their ideas, we will welcome it.
"This is proof that we are open to all in developing our states,” he said in a press conference at the 69th PAS Muktamar on Saturday (Oct 21).
So far, only Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had been named as the outfit’s unofficial advisor for the SG4 which comprised Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu states.
Ahmad Samsuri again brushed off the idea that the appointment of Dr Mahathir would only serve as an obstacle between the four states and the Federal Government.
"I have said before, we need to steer away from old politics. There are times that we need non-partisan cooperation from all parties.
"Dr Mahathir is only serving as an advisor. He is not involved in discussions between the four mentri besar’ and the Federal Government," he said.
In a new update for SG4, Ahmad Samsuri said the four states would focus on cooperation via five clusters namely; infrastructure and logistics; trade, investment and business; agriculture and food security; laws and human capital as well as generation of new income and resources.
He added that it was too early to set a target on the amount of investment for the four states but shared that Dr Mahathir had already reached out to potential investors.
"Dr Mahathir has met foreign investors from Japan, China and Korea, and he is expected to meet with potential investors from the Middle East," he said.
When asked if there was a specific economic model the SG4 was emulating, Ahmad Samsuri without revealing in detail said there were ways the four states were using to get investors.
"We have our ways but it is not the same as an economic bloc like G7.
"Unlike the other blocs, our cooperation is new which is specifically at the state level," he added.
