Kuala Lampur, Sept. 22 -- RMK13 may prove to be Malaysia's lucky break from the middle income trap. As Parliament dissects this five-year roadmap towards a "sustained high-income prosperous nation," questions arise: How does it differ from RMK12? What lessons have we learned? And does it possess the clarity, focus, and execution muscle needed to convert ambitious vision into transformative reality?

The RMK12 (2021-2025), launched amidst pandemic upheaval, was undeniably ambitious. Its journey offers stark lessons for RMK13: RMK12 suffered from a persistent gap between elegant strategy and gritty execution. Silos between ministries, bureaucratic inertia, and a lack of clear, accountable ownership for specific outcomes hampered progress. G...