KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 — Academics have lauded the establishment today of the Economic Action Council (EAC) comprising 16 prominent individuals and helmed by Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, saying it will address issues concerning the well-being of the people.
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Faculty of Economics and Business Senior Professor, Prof Datuk Dr Shazali Abu Mansor said the EAC was more representative compared with Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) and the possibility for the council to go wrong could be minimised.
“Most are successful people with proven track records and the composition (of the EAC) includes a considerable number of non-politicians.
“Hopefully these people can help the government to attain their promised manifesto as the rakyat are watching on this matter now,” he told Bernama today.
Shazali said the composition of the EAC would give the people more confidence that their issues would be addressed.
“Hopefully, new ideas to address these issues affecting the well-being of the rakyat can be generated by the council members, and a platform can be created for ideas and feedback from the public,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sunway University Business School, Professor of Economics, Prof Dr Yeah Kim Leng said the council was a smaller version of the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) and could be likened to an expanded CEP.
“It is timely to have the new council to give birth to a new economic direction, policies and strategies under the nine-month-old government.
“More importantly, this should culminate in an action plan that will be widely disseminated, as was done by the previous NEAC, and not kept under wraps as in the recent CEP report,” he added. — Bernama
