SALUTATIONS

1. The Honourable Puan Pua Pei Ling

ADUN Bukit Lanjan

2. The Respected Puan Hajah Sharinaz Haji Samsudin

Deputy Mayor, Petaling Jaya City Council

3. The Respected Tuan Mohd Khalid Mohamed Latiff

Director-General, Unit Pantau MADANI

4. The Esteemed Datin Saliza Mokhtar

Deputy Director-General (Management), Akademi Kenegaraan Malaysia

Respected Heads of Departments and Senior Officials of the Federal and State Governments,

Members of the Media,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen.

Salam Perpaduan, Salam Malaysia MADANI, and a very Good Morning.

1. First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the organizers and everyone present today for gathering here at the Program MADANI Kita in Damansara, Selangor.

2. I deeply appreciate your presence as we celebrate this programme as a platform to strengthen the spirit of togetherness, unity, and harmony within the community.

3. I would also like to express my appreciation and congratulations to the Akademi Kenegaraan Malaysia (AKM) as the event organizer, for their commitment, effort, and dedication in ensuring the success of today's Program MADANI Kita.

Respected Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

4. Program MADANI Kita is not merely an event that gathers ministries, departments, and government agencies under one roof. It serves as a vital bridge connecting the government with the people.

5. The government must listen. The government must understand, and most importantly, the government must ensure that every policy, programme, and service designed truly reaches the people.

6. Through programmes such as this, the public can interact directly with government ministries and agencies, gain information on available services, understand government initiatives, and share their views, suggestions, and concerns.

7. Good policies are not born solely from discussions in meeting rooms. Good policies are created when we step out onto the ground and understand the daily realities faced by the people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

8. We live in an era increasingly shaped by digital technology. The way we work has changed. The way we communicate has changed. The way we conduct business has changed, and the way we access government services is rapidly transforming as well.

9. Today, smartphones are no longer just tools for communication. They have become mediums for work, learning, business, acquiring information, accessing services, and connecting with the world.

10. However, amid such rapid technological advancement, we must ensure that no citizen is left behind.

11. Digital transformation must not only benefit those with direct access to technology. It must also ensure that the digitally less literate, senior citizens, low-income groups, small entrepreneurs, local communities, and those who require support can enjoy these same benefits.

12. We want technology to be a tool that eases the lives of the people, not one that burdens them. We want digitalization to create opportunities, not widen gaps. We want innovation to bring benefits, not leave anyone behind.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

13. I view the nation’s digitalization agenda as being not merely about technology. It is about people. Technology is simply a tool. The more critical question is how we use that tool to improve the lives of the people.

14. How a small business owner can use digital platforms to grow their business. How a young person can leverage technology to gain knowledge and build a career.

15. How a senior citizen can access services easily without feeling left behind in the digital world. How local communities can utilize technology to improve their quality of life, and how the government can use technology to deliver services more efficiently, easily, and effectively.

16. This is what we mean by digital for the people. Digital is not merely about applications. Digital is not merely about artificial intelligence (AI). Digital is not merely about data and new technology.

17. Digital is about how all these developments ultimately bring tangible benefits to the people.

Respected Guests,

18. As the Member of Parliament for Damansara, I always hold that whatever policies and initiatives the government implements must ultimately translate into direct, real benefits for the people.

19. We want the people to see that government efforts are not just policies and plans made at the central level, but are actively present in their everyday lives.

20. We recognize that the needs of the community are constantly evolving. This is why a close relationship between elected representatives, the government, and the community is crucial.

21. Therefore, I hope that the residents of Damansara will make full use of this opportunity. Come forward, ask questions, obtain information, and utilize the services provided. Because ultimately, the measure of a policy's success is not just in how many programmes are implemented, but in how far the people benefit and feel a positive change in their daily lives.

22. We want progress that is not only reflected in figures and statistics, but truly felt in everyday life. This is the true meaning of development, when national progress is translated into the well-being of the people.

Respected Guests,

23. In closing, I hope the Program MADANI Kita in Damansara today will continue to serve as a platform that bridges the government with the people.

24. Let us work together to build a more progressive, inclusive, safe, and competitive Malaysia, with technology as an enabler and the people as our utmost priority.

25. On that note, I am pleased to officially launch the Program MADANI Kita, Damansara, Selangor.

Thank you. #END#