By Sofia Nasir
SHAH ALAM, Dec 6 — The 2025 Selangor State Budget has opened doors to new paradigms, especially in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), in addition to strengthening the overall needs of the state.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said next year’s budget also focuses on driving the education field to create inclusive manpower.
“I think we are opening new paradigms in AI and strengthening our needs. In five years, our foreign direct investment (FDI) has not been quite so significant, but our domestic investment has exceeded the FDI.
“This shows our local companies are developing well and that we are strengthening the ecosystem,” he said after the Dialog Shah Alam event at Universiti Selangor here yesterday.
[caption id="attachment_382298" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari speaks to the media after the Dialog Shah Alam event, held at Universiti Selangor’s Shah Alam campus, on December 5, 2024. — Picture by NUR ADIBAH AHMAD IZAM/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
He was responding to criticism from ex-menteri besar Mohamad Khir Toyo, who said the 2025 Selangor State Budget lacked clear direction, as reported by a local newspaper on Sunday.
Amirudin said Selangor aims to provide competitive manpower to fulfil investor needs and create its own local supply chain.
“In China, they draw foreign investors and create their own, large supply chain. That is what we lack, and Selangor is handling the matter.
“Technological transformation must be done by locals and not multinational companies, because they will move when operational costs rise,” he said.
On November 15, Amirudin tabled the RM3 billion state budget, themed “Dynamic Selangor: Perfect Aspirations of Malaysia Madani”.
