IPOH, May 7 — Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad today said government achievements should not be measured by economic figures alone, but by whether people feel the benefits in their daily lives.
Saarani said that while growth and investment numbers remain important, the real test of any policy is whether it improves the realities faced by the public.
“Today, we often talk about growth figures, investment figures and economic achievement figures. All of these are important. We cannot deny that,” Saarani said during his speech at the Perak Policy and Research Conference held at Hotel Casuarina Meru here.
“But in the end, we must accept the reality that the people do not live within statistics. They live in their daily realities.
“They feel the prices of goods at the market, think about their children’s future and deal with the service systems that we provide,” he added.
He said although the government may record strong economic growth on paper, a gap would emerge if its achievements are not reflected in people’s lived experiences.
“And that gap, we cannot allow it to continue widening,” he said.
Because of this, Saarani said the Perak government has adopted a more grounded and people-centric approach through its theme “Hasil Dirasai, Keyakinan Dibina” (Results Felt, Confidence Built).
He said tangible results include parents feeling relieved because their children are able to secure jobs, young people seeing a future in Perak without having to migrate elsewhere, and small traders no longer being burdened by rising costs.
Saarani added that improvements in government service delivery — making it easier, friendlier and faster for the public to deal with government agencies — should also be considered meaningful outcomes.
“When these things happen consistently, confidence does not need to be built through words. It will build itself naturally.
“Because the people’s confidence does not come from what we announce, but from what they experience,” he said.
