Malaysia sets national Sustainable Development Goals targets for the first time, says PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has, for the first time, set Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicator targets and finalised nine accelerator initiatives to achieve the SDGs in the country.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) said the national SDG indicator and initiatives will be translated into the Phase 2 Sustainable Development Goals Roadmap to be published in December.

He said this was among the matters finalised at the National SDG Council meeting for 2023, which he chaired on Tuesday (Nov 7), to ensure more effective implementation of SDGs in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030), which is only seven years away.

The National SDG Council meeting also decided that the National SDG Centre under the Economic Ministry, be tasked with increasing SDG coordination actions at the national level, improving national SDG achievements, as well as raising awareness in SDG implementation and adoption of environmental, social and corporate governance principles.

“(In addition) improving the National SDG governance structure in line with the current functions of the ministries as well as strengthening the role of ministries at the Federal level as the lead ministry for each SDG objective,” he said in a statement on Tuesday night.

Anwar, also the Minister of Finance, explained that the lead ministry is responsible for implementing actions to ensure every SDG target can be achieved in the stipulated period.

He said all discourse and programmes organised by the ministries and agencies must be aligned with the SDG.

The Prime Minister said that overall, Malaysia’s SDG performance still recorded positive development despite facing current challenges and situations at the global and domestic levels, such as the effects of the post-Covid-19 pandemic, global climate change, inflation and international geopolitical chaos.

Anwar said one of the country’s achievements was the reduction of the percentage below the poverty line from 8.4% in 2020 to 6.2% in 2022, which is SDG 1 (No Poverty).

Through SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), the unemployment rate dropped from 4.6% in 2021 to 3.4% in August 2023.

As for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), the individual use of the Internet increased from 81.2% in 2018 to 97.4% in 2022.

The Prime Minister said the government remained committed to achieving Agenda 2030 and will continue to enhance to achieve the 17 SDGs.

He said the commitment of everyone, including the Federal government, state governments, local authorities and other stakeholders, is crucial to ensuring Malaysia becomes a sustainable country by 2030.- BK