Serving in the cabinet for three years a rare privilege - Abdul Wahid Omar

Being in a Cabinet line-up for three years without contesting in a general election is a rare privilege for anyone said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Wahid Omar who is soon to end his service in the government.

He said it was an honour for him when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak invited him to join the Cabinet.

"It is a rare opportunity and honour for me to be invited to join the cabinet without contesting in a general election," he told reporters here today in probably his final press conference before ending his service on June 4.

Abdul Wahid said during his three-year tenure in the government, he was involved in numerous national economic development planning for the medium and long term, including the 11th Malaysia Plan which started this year.

"Via the given mandate too, I had the opportunity to provide a private sector perspective in the government and ensure the government implemented correct measures," he said.

Abdul Wahid conceded he faced a different sort of pressure when in the government compared to the 25 years in the corporate sector.

"This include issues that are politicised because it posed a challenge. But if we focused on the issue and facts, God willing, we can perform our duty to the best of our ability," he said.

The Prime Minister recently announced that Abdul Wahid's service as a member of Dewan Negara and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department would end on June 4 in line with his request when accepting the appointment in 2013.

Aspiring to return to the corporate sector, Abdul Wahid, nevertheless, planned a long rest during Ramadan before resuming his career but did not elaborate on the sector he would be joining.

Asked if he was interested in joining politics and contesting at the coming general election, Abdul Wahid said: "Definitely not...I'm very much a corporate person, not used to any political situation..that's why I want to return to corporate sector".

On the national economic growth in the future, he said it was common knowledge the world is experiencing an uncertain economy including moderate growth in China and the low commodity prices which posed a challenge to the country.

"But, the government has prepared a strategy of diversity not only in terms of our economic contribution structure including how we have reduced dependence on the commodity sector and now our nation is spurred by the manufacturing and production sector.

"We can also see this when the government added to the numerous national income sources and reduced dependence on the oil and gas revenue and the diversity of market nations to avoid being overly dependent on any one nation," he said.

He said although China is Malaysia's largest trading partner, the export to China is less than 14 per cent, so Malaysia is not too dependent on it.

As such, he said, the strategy of diversity enabled the nation to develop in a sustainable manner despite facing a challenging period.