KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will re-examine major national policies including the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the New Economic Model (NEM), said Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.

He said the review will be part of the 12th Malaysia Plan, which will involve evaluating existing policies and the forming of new ones for a comprehensive economic development plan.

"In line with that and our New Malaysia aspirations, major national policies will be reviewed, including the NEP and the NEM to ascertain if they are still relevant in ensuring sustainable economic development and distributive justice.

"Following that, new policies which are more responsive to the rakyat's aspirations will be drafted based on need and socio-economic development direction," the Economic Affairs Minister said in a parliamentary written reply to William Leong (PH - Selayang) on Monday.

Leong had asked whether the Government intended to review such programmes when it begins its mid-term review of the 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK11).

Azmin said the documents on the mid-term review had been adjusted to suit the aspirations and direction of the new Government after the 14th general election.

"This realignment is necessary to ensure that our new direction is taken into consideration when forming planning and development strategies between now and 2020.

"It is also important to ensure that all Government efforts will truly bring benefit or a positive impact to the people without any leakages, misappropriation and abuse of power," he said.

Azmin also said the 12th Malaysia Plan between 2021 and 2025 will focus more on a detailed and comprehensive development strategy for Malaysia.

Announced in 1970 after the May 13 racial riots the year before, the NEP was an affirmative action plan to balance the economic standing of the majority Malays and bumiputras with their Chinese and Indian counterparts.

The NEM was the brainchild of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, which was introduced in 2010 to double the per capita income in Malaysia by the year 2020.

It aimed to shift from affirmative-action plans to needs-based, therefore improving competitiveness and becoming more market and investor-friendly.