S

Enhancing
Quality of Life
Tricia Yeoh
Institute for Democracy & Economic Affairs (IDEAS)
Budget Consultation 2015
26
th
May 2014
1
Presentation Structure
S What does quality of life constitute?
S 3 themes:
S Improved Public Services
S Better Jobs & Work-Life Balance
S Transparent Government & Citizen Participation
2
EIUs
Where-to-be-born Index 2013
S Malaysia ranks 36 out of 80 countries (Score = 6.62/ 10)
S Switzerland 1
st
, Singapore 6
th
, South Korea 19
th
, Thailand 50
th
S Measures:
S Material wellbeing (GDP per capita)
S Life expectancy at birth
S Quality of family life, political freedoms, job security
S Climate
S Physical security
S Quality of community life
S Governance
S Gender equality
S Source: The Economist, 2012
3
OECD Better Life Index: What
Matters Most to Malaysians?
4
Housing
Jobs
Income
Environment
Safety
Education
Life Satisfaction
Work-Life Balance
Health
Source: OECD Better Life Index 2013
Australia, Norway, Sweden top 3 in Index: Housing, Income, Jobs, Community,
Education, Environment, Civic Engagement as most important.
Civic Engagement
Community
5
Better
Quality
of Life
Transparent
Government &
Citizen Participation
* Better life satisfaction
* Better civic engagement
and community life
Improving Public
Services
* Better work-life balance
* Higher education standards
* Better safety in cities
* More healthy environment
Better Jobs & Work-Life
Balance
* Better, high-salaried jobs
* Better life satisfaction
* Better work-life balance
6
Better Public Services Better Jobs & Work-
Life Balance
Transparent
Government & Civic
Participation
Public Transport Job creation Open Government
Partnership
Education for the poor Open and competitive
economy
Extractive Industry
Transparency Initiative
(EITI)
Water Management Women in the workforce Transparent public
procurement
Combating Crime Freedom of Information
Act
Local government
elections
S
Improving Public
Services
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Improving Public Services
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Area Proposals
1. Public Transport
a) Empowering local governments
b) Better co-ordination between federal, state and
local governments
c) Extended pedestrian walkways and bicycle
lanes, mapped out
d) Having bicycles and better parking facilities in
all railway options (LRT, MRT, KTM, Monorail)
e) Walkways better connected to stations
f) Incentives for companies that provide shower
facilities
g) Public transport focus to expand to other cities
nationwide, beyond Klang Valley
Environment Work-Life Balance
Improving Public Services
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Area Proposals
2. Education for the
poor
a) Clear, defined steps of how non-state players
can contribute to education services (public
schools)
b) Actively restore and encourage school boards to
be formed for alumni and community to get
involved
c) Encourage NGO and social enterprise through
venture funds
d) Transparency in school rankings (academic &
extra-curricular performance)
Education Work-Life Balance Community
Improving Public Services
10
Area Proposals
3. Water
Management
a) Paradigm shift from planning for water supply to
managing water demand to avoid need to
develop new resources
b) Concerted effort to encourage water
conservation, reuse and recycling through
enforcement and education
c) Provide incentives to households and
developers that install water-efficient equipment,
water conservation kits, water-efficient plumbing
fixtures
d) More strict enforcement by regulator SPAN
over water operators activities and Non-Revenue
Water
e) Better collaboration between federal, state and
local governments on regulatory enforcement
Environment Education Community
Improving Public Services
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Area Proposals
4. Combating
Crime
a) Channel budget allocation away from special
branch and internal security to CID (criminal
investigation division) as the priority in the
police force. Currently, budget is almost equal
(7.44% vs 7.64%).
b) Focus should be on street crime, gangs/ rings
operating in selected vicinities.
c) Publish data of crime hot-spots of every city
and rank these into black, grey and white
areas.
d) Get public involved by allowing sharing of crime
information and data possible via social
media (citizens, developers, civil society,
neighbourhood watch co-operating with local
police)
Environment Safety Education Work-Life Balance Community
S
Better Jobs &
Work-Life Balance
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Better Jobs &
Work-Life Balance
13
Area Proposals
5. Women in the
workforce
a) Encourage flexible working environment for
working mothers in both public and private sectors
b) Encourage women working in the informal sector
and entrepreneurial set-ups
c) Encourage women participation in public
administration and political spaces like in local
councils, state assemblies and federal
Parliament
Income Jobs Work-Life Balance Community
S
Transparent
Government & Civic
Participation
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Transparent government and
civic participation
15
Area Proposals
6. an international platform for domestic reformers
committed to making their governments more open,
accountable and responsive to citizens. (46 countries)
For government to endorse the OGP declaration and join
the OGP within 2-3 years
7. a global coalition of governments, extractive
companies and civil society working together to improve
openness and accountable management of revenues
from natural resources. (44 countries)
Government to express interest to become candidate
country to implement the EITI within 3-4 years.
Kumpulan Wang Amanah Negara (Heritage Fund) data
to be published regularly
Life Satisfaction Civic Engagement Community
Transparent government and
civic participation
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Area Proposals
8. Public
procurement
Transparent public procurement saves funds via a more
open and competitive bidding process, resulting in
cheaper goods and services, stronger SMEs.
a) Regularly publish directly negotiated contracts on
MyProcurement website
b) PPP projects comply to same rules as MOF Procurement
regulations (UKAS)
9. Freedom of
Information Act
Better access to information: citizens feel empowered and
involved in public decision-making greater satisfaction
a) Form a Parliamentary Select Committee to conduct a FOI
Law feasibility study
b) Table a draft FOI Law in Parliament within one (1) year
Life Satisfaction Civic Engagement Community
Transparent government and
civic participation
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Area Proposals
10. Local
government
elections
Local government as first point of contact for citizens basic
public delivery (potholes, roads) to be better governed through
enhanced accountability.
a) National Council for Local Government (NCLG) to pass a
motion to conduct a feasibility study and commit to restoring
local government elections within 3-5 years
b) Local council reform to improve administrative capacity of
all officers nationwide professionalising staff,
streamlining job positions
Life Satisfaction Civic Engagement Community
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Better
Quality
of Life
Transparent
Government &
Citizen Participation
* Better life satisfaction
* Better civic engagement
and community life
Improving Public
Services
* Better work-life balance
* Higher education standards
* Better safety in cities
* More healthy environment
Better Jobs & Work-Life
Balance
* Better, high-salaried jobs
* Better life satisfaction
* Better work-life balance
S
Thank You.
For more information, please visit
www.ideas.org.my
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