Najib Razak : Govt has met most goals

KUALA LUMPUR: PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said last night  the government has met the majority of its  goals under the National Transformation Programme, and is  on track to meet its goal of becoming a high-income nation earlier than 2020.

Announcing the results of the government's report card for last year in the form of the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and Government Transformation Plan (GTP), he said the achievements were proof of the government's dedication to the 1Malaysia philosophy of "People First, Performance Now".

Najib Razak described ETP and GTP as "the bravest experiment undertaken by any government in the world to practise the principles of transparency and responsibility"."The task to become a high-income nation by 2020 is ambitious, but attainable."With this transformation agenda, I am responsible for its success and am bound by its results."I want to help Malaysia realise its exceptional potential," he told the audience at Auditorium Perdana at Angkasapuri.

Najib Razak said initiatives taken to boost the living standards of low-income households had lowered the poverty rate to 1.7 per cent last year from 3.8 per cent in 2009.The income gap narrowed to 0.431 as per the Gini coefficient ratio (a measure of inequality of income or wealth) last year, compared with 0.441 in 2009.A lower Gini coefficient ratio equates to a more equal distribution of wealth, with "0" corresponding to complete equality.

The country's per capita income last year, he said, stood at US$9,970 (RM31,131), compared with US$257 (RM802) in 1957, which is a 4,000 per cent leap in five decades.

In addition, the average household income last year stood at RM5,000, a jump from RM4,025 in 2009.

The construction of 35,000 new homes had also enabled more medium- and low-income families to own their own properties.

The efforts by the government had resulted in 99.9 per cent of households from the extreme poor category moving out of the bracket over the last three years.

"As part of our initiative to ensure that rural communities share in the country's progress, more than 3,300km of roads have been built, more than 1.4 million homes provided with clean water and 470,000 homes enjoy round-the-clock electricity supply."

The government's stand on the importance of early education, he said, had seen more than 2,000 preschool classes established, leading to a more than 80 per cent pre-school enrolment last year compared with 67 per cent the previous year.Touching on the ETP, he said it had continued to meet its targets, with RM32 billion in investments secured via 39 projects last year.

"Since the ETP's launch in 2010, private investment has grown more than three-fold, recording a 22 per cent increase in 2012."

The ETP had since announced 149 projects, worth RM211 billion in investments, and is projected to add another RM136 billion to the gross national income and create 408,443 jobs.

Najib Razak said in line with the government's stand on transparency, the results had been subject to review and verification by international experts on the International Performance Review Panel and auditing house PricewaterhouseCoopers Malaysia.

"What we have achieved, and failed to achieve, is on display for everyone to see."

Najib Razak reiterated that the Barisan Nasional government was one that kept its promises.

"We place the people's wellbeing above all else.

"That is why before promising something to the people, we study it first as to whether it will benefit the people and not burden them, whether it is temporary or for the long term.

"Secondly, we ask ourselves, is this promise something we can keep? We do not make empty promises."

Najib Tun Razak: Govt committed to continue empowering women

PUTRAJAYA: The government is committed to continue empowering women in the country towards ensuring their full potential can be realised and enhanced, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib Razak said the government not only recognised their importance but had included them in mainstream development and in transforming the country.

"In our history... in the struggle for independence... in our struggle after independence...in our struggle to achieve the nation's vision...women played an important role towards achieving the aspirations and goals of the country.

"That is why we are gathered here today, to trigger waves among women, so that women come forward and in turn raise the spirit, that national aspirations cannot be achieved without the empowerment of women throughout the country," Najib Razak said when launching the 1 Million Women Purple Walk 2013, here .

Also present were the Prime Minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and wife Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Dr Ali Hamsa.

The Prime Minister  Najib Razak said that as a result of the government's efforts over the years, many successes had been achieved by women, for example in the field of education.

"In higher education centres, why is that 62 per cent of the enrolment comprise female students ... this is due to their having the qualifications, "he said.  
He also said that the government would continue with its policy of having 30 per cent of women employed at the decision-making level.

"Now 30 of the 62 High Court judges are women, of the secretaries-general in ministries, seven of them are women with the latest being in the Ministry of Health," he said.

Najib Razak also said he wanted government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs) appoint at least one woman or more to their boards.

"The national transformation policy will not be achieved if women are not given equal opportunities, not empowered and included in the mainstream, not only at the highest level but also at the grassroots," Najib Razak said.

Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan launched the state level 1Million Women Purple Walk 2013 with almost 10,000 in attendance in the Sports and Youth Complex in Paroi. -- Bernama

Don’t throw 50 years of hard work away, says Najib

PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday called upon the people not to throw 50 years of hard work and dedication away by voting in the Opposition.He said the Opposition, made up of three different parties with conflicting views, was unable to even decide who among them would lead the coalition if they came to power.

“The Barisan Nasional presents you with a proven track record, while the Opposition comes to you with nothing,” he said in the “Conversation with the Prime Minister” programme aired over TV3 last night."We began our transformation programme in 2009 to bring the nation to greater heights and we can now see and feel the results of this agenda. "We have more to do and we appeal to the rakyat to give us the mandate to complete this.”

Najib Razak, who is also the finance minister, said Malaysia’s economy had become strong and was on track and had been able to buck the external global economic trend.In the last quarter, Malaysia achieved a 6.4 per cent growth, indicating the resilience of the national economy.

“I can quote you the statistics that indicate the strong resilience of our national economy,” he said.“When we talk about benefits to the people from 2009 to 2011, our Gross National Income (GNI) per capita has grown from US$6,670 to US$9,970, roughly about 49 per cent.

“There is no country in the world that has achieved this kind of result.” On the BR1M, Najib dismissed allegations that it was an election gimmick and said it was part and parcel of the BarisanNasional’s economic strategy to assist the people.
Najib Razak said the government had been giving plenty of indirect subsidies to the people, especially in the form of fuel subsidies, which was open to abuse. "However, with BR1M, we are targetting only a selected group who need this help,” he said."We have to date spent RM3 billion on BR1M, but on fuel subsidies, we spend about RM30 billion annually.”He said BR1M had also helped the local economy get stronger by giving the people a little more spending power.

Asked when the next general election would likely be held, Najib Razak said it would be held within the ambit of the the Federal Constitution.

Najib appointed Selangor BN election chief

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will lead Barisan Nasional’s (BN) polls blitzkrieg in Selangor as its newly-appointed election director, state leaders decided yesterday, in a move that shows the pact’s determination to recapture the country’s richest and most industrialised state. Utusan Malaysia Online quoted Selangor BN coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed as confirming that the decision was made during a state BN meeting last night, where leaders strategised on the best formula to ensure Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is toppled in Selangor after Election 2013.

“The Prime Minister, who is also BN’s state chairman will lead the election machinery in Selangor and this shows his continuous efforts for the party, showing his confidence and his ‘hands on’ approach in Selangor,” he was quoted as saying. The Sepang MP also revealed that he would be helping Najib (picture) as his deputy elections director in terms of planning and mobilising the state’s election machinery.

BN lost the country’s wealthiest state and three others ― Perak, Kedah and Penang ― in a historic upset in Election 2008, when the federal opposition also captured 82 federal seats to deny the ruling coalition its customary two-third parliamentary majority.BN later took back Perak in an electoral putsch in February 2009 and has been working hard to unseat PR in Selangor.

In recent months, Najib, who is faced with the tough task of ensuring BN takes a comfortable majority in Election 2013, has been traversing the length and breadth of the country, spreading his pledges of reform and transformation as he urged Malaysians against changing the government.But observers believe the next electoral race may be neck-and-neck between BN and the fledgling PakatanRakyat (PR) pact, which has grown significantly in strength and numbers since its surprise victories in the last federal polls.

Much focus will be placed on Selangor, said to be the country’s engine of economic growth, where talk is that PR’s administration under first-term MentriBesar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim may not have performed well enough to sustain its 2008 support.PR currently has tenuous control over the country’s richest state and holds 36 seats in the 56-seat state assembly and 17 out of 22 parliamentary seats.

A swing of seven state seats towards BN in the next general election, which must be held by June, will allow the federal ruling pact to recapture Selangor with a simple majority.The 13th general election is expected by the second week of April, a month after Najib razak ends his “Janji Ditepati” (Promises Fulfilled) national tour and his BN completes its candidates list and manifestos, sources have said.The Malaysian Insider understands the prime minister’s last stop of the tour is in his Pekan parliamentary constituency on March 16, after which he is expected to meet the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and seek a dissolution of Parliament.

“The Election Commission (EC) normally sets polling day about three weeks after Parliament is dissolved, so we expect the earliest is mid-April,” a BN source told The Malaysian Insider.

There had been speculation that Parliament would be dissolved this week and a general election will be held by the end of March, more than five years after the last general election on March 8, 2008.The EC will set the polling date with a minimum 10-day campaign period and is expected to do so after Parliament and all state assemblies except Sarawak are dissolved. Sarawak had its state elections in 2011.The Malaysian Insider previously reported that the BNmanifesto will be ready by the end of this month while activists from the component parties have already started their ground work.

Najib urges Malaysian youths to take up volunteer work

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today called on Malaysian youths to give back to the community by getting involved in volunteer programmes. The prime minister Najib Tun Razak said his vision for Malaysian youths is for them to get involved in helping their communities.

“The key thing is you do not expect anything in return. The only thing that you will get is the sense of self-accomplishment and self-satisfaction that you have contributed something. “I believe if you contribute something and help others, you are going to feel a lot better yourself ... trust me. That is the great feeling that you cannot get by other activities,” he said in his speech at the iM4U Reach Out Youth and Volunteerism Convention at the Taylor’s Lakeside Campus, here. 

1 Malaysia for Youth (iM4U) is a common platform for Malaysian youths to carry out volunteer activities that can benefit communities social groups. The platform also provides financial support for volunteer projects through its Dana Sukarelawan 1 Malaysia (DRe1M). 

Najib said Malaysian youths must also remember those who had fought and died to keep the country free and peaceful. “Unfortunately, yesterday we lost two very brave policemen who died in the line of duty so that we can live in peace in this country. These are the people who have made a lot of difference for Malaysia,” he added. 

Two police commandos were killed yesterday in a gun battle in Sabah with armed intruders claiming to be from the Sulu Sultanate in the Philippines. Najib also called upon the private sector to support volunteerism initiatives throughout the country. 

“We welcome all the corporate players out there to join hands with us in spreading the spirit of volunteerism across the country. I remember that there was a time when the private sector would reward an organisation that gives back to the community effectively through its corporate responsibility programmes,” he said. “Thus, I would like to take this chance to call upon the private sector to not only join us, but also to support volunteerism initiatives throughout the country ,” he said. 

On iM4U, Najib Tun Razak said they were looking at expanding the list of ambassadors who would rally more youths to take part in volunteering activities across the nation. “I was also made to understand that the iM4U Facebook page to date has 40,000 likes and 8,000 followers on Twitter. In addition, more than 300 activities have been approved since its inception via the DRe1M fund, with almost RM700,000 given out to fund these activities. 

“One hundred outreach centres have been set up across the public and private universities across Malaysia and, in fact, I will be launching the outreach centre at Puncak Alam (Selangor) later today,” he said.