New Perlis panel to guide long-term growth strategy ahead of 2040 target

KANGAR, May 7 — The Perlis state government will establish the Perlis Transformation and Monitoring Steering Committee to formulate a more structured development direction for the state, in its bid to achieve developed state status by 2040.

Menteri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah said that the committee would focus on key sectors including the economy, investment, education, religion and tourism, adopting short-, medium- and long-term development planning approaches.

“The state leadership needs to have a clear direction, especially in strengthening the economic sector and attracting more investments to the state, as well as driving Perlis towards a developed state status,” he told reporters after officiating the Perlis Economic Census 2026 Engagement Session here today.

Also present was Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin.

Abu Bakar said that further details on the committee and development direction were expected to be announced during the winding-up session of the State Legislative Assembly in June.

Meanwhile, the Perlis Department of Statistics (DOSM), in a statement released in conjunction with the event, said the economic census in Perlis would cover almost 10,000 business establishments involving five main sectors, namely services, manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying, and agriculture.

Abu Bakar, in the statement, said that the implementation of the census was in line with the Perlis state development policy, which includes the State Structure Plan 2040, the Perlis State Strategic Development Plan and the Perlis Digital Plan.

“The data collected through this census will serve as important input in the formulation of fiscal, monetary, social and development policies, in addition to helping the government assess the effectiveness of existing programmes,” he said. — Bernama