The scope and direction of public enterprises during the Fourth Malaysia Plan

Abstract

Definition of public enterprises The concept of 'public enterprises' as key instruments for the achievement of national development has been defined in many ways. At a meeting of senior officials of developing and developed countries convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat, London in 1979, the Group adopted a working definition of 'public enterprises' as: "Any commercial, financial, industrial, agricultural or promotional undertaking owned by a public authority, either wholly or through majority shareholding - which is engaged in the production and sales of goods and services and whose affairs are capable of being recorded in balance sheets and profit and loss accounts. Such undertakings may have diverse legal and corporate forms such as departmental undertakings, public corporations, statutory agencies established by acts of parliament or joint stock companies registered under the company law."