KUALA LUMPUR: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has welcomed the aim to transform Malaysia into a high-income nation through the empowerment of the role played by the private sector as well as the micro, small and medium enterprises.

To this end, His Majesty said, the provision of infrastructure and access to digital services must continue to be enhanced in line with the National Entrepreneurship Policy 2030.

In his royal address at the opening ceremony of the first meeting of the second session of the 15th Parliament sitting, the King said the government is always sensitive to the plight of the people amid rising global inflation, the ringgit's weakness against the US dollar and the post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery phase.

"In this regard, the government will continue to take steps to ease the burden on breeders, farmers and food producers, following the continuous rise in production costs so that the country's food production continues to be at an optimal level and the country's food security remains at the best level," he said.

Al-Sultan Abdullah said the industrial ecosystem needs to be monitored and improved continuously in line with the latest developments.

Meanwhile, His Majesty said the National Digital Network (Jendela) initiative has been formed to expedite the development of the country's digital infrastructure.

"In 2021, the digital economy contributed 23.2 per cent to the national gross domestic product, with e-commerce being the fastest growing sector," he added.

-- BERNAMA