A country’s development progress cannot be measured by economic indicators alone, but should also encompass social justice, human well-being, ecological balance, and peace, according to Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah.
His Royal Highness said that, in recent years, new approaches have emerged that seek to expand the scope of development and these acknowledged that traditional metrics are too narrow and do not capture the complexities of human well-being or ecological sustainability.
“New frameworks have been developed, including the Human Development Index of the United Nations Development Programme, which has helped to broaden our understanding of development to include access to healthcare, education, and political participation, and not just income levels,” Sultan Nazrin said in his royal address at the Putrajaya Festival of Ideas (FOI) here today.