Najib woos federal agency workers with better perks

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 ― The Najib Tun Razak administration today moved to appease some 40,000 employees of federal agencies by agreeing to boost their benefits ahead of key national polls.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced today Putrajaya’s approval for a new pension fund, the provision of fixed allowances and gratuity for retirees, and the streamlining of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions for all seven bodies, meaning employers’ contribution will be made commensurate with the duration of service.

“This is a government that hears the pulse of the people. We must put the people first,” Najib Razak said in his speech before some 2,000 statutory body employees at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

The move came after months of negotiations between Najib’s government and workers’ unions, which at one point threatened to back the opposition should Putrajaya fail to meet the demands made since 2008, according to an anonymous union leader.

The civil service is a key vote bank for the ruling BarisanNasional (BN) coalition, which is gearing up for what is set to be its toughest election to date.

Wary of a possible discontent within the public service, Najib Tun Razak moved to placate the key voter group by agreeing to meet their demands for improved benefits as well as increasing pay.

But the prime minister was quick to dismiss suggestions that his government was adopting populist measures to sustain support from the civil servants, saying today’s announcement was done after careful consideration based on economic viability.

Najib Razak said populism was a tactic favoured only by the opposition, and argued that meeting the election pledges made by Pakatan Rakyat would bankrupt the country.

“If we take this populist attitude, giving everything without considering the importance of good governance, the country would descend into the valley of economic destruction,” he said.

The federal opposition bloc Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had in its election manifesto promised to increase salaries both in the public and private sectors through better management of the economy.

It also promised to continue subsidising fuel and basic goods, where BN announced plans to slash subsidies amid concerns of rising public debt; PR leaders insist their welfare programmes are viable if corruption is tackled.

Najib Tun Razak government had described PR’s pledges as unrealistic, unreasonable and populist. In turn, his administration was accused of courting voters through policies such as the cash handouts under the 1 Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) that cost more than RM1 billion public funds.

The BR1M programme had contributed significantly to the prime minister’s approval rating, according to a previous MerdekaCenter survey, and Najib tun Razak had promised to make it an annual event should BN retain power.

Daim backs Najib Razak , rejects Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin says Najib Tun Razak is doing a fairly good job and should be given the mandate to lead the country and continue with his transformation policies.

Urging voters to give Najib Razak the chance for five years, the Umno veteran said: “Test him. Give him the mandate. He is doing a fairly good job. Let’s see him deliver and continue with his transformation policies.”
In an interview with the New Sunday Times, Daim indicated his preference for Najib Razak to win instead of Anwar Ibrahim whom he deemed as not the right candidate to be the prime minister.

“If you ask me, between the two, Najib Razak or Anwar, I would choose Najib. I will give Najib the chance. Give him the mandate and see whether he delivers because Anwar has had his chances, but he blew them.
“I want Najib to win because I don’t think Anwar is the right candidate to be prime minister,” he said.

“I believe he will mess up the country by getting advice from the likes of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), World Bank and Wolfowitz (Paul Wolfowitz, former World Bank president),” he said.
Daim, who served as the finance minister from 1984 to 1991 and as the special functions minister in 1998 before being reappointed as the finance minister from 1999 to 2001, said it was dangerous if an opposition under Anwar was to lead the country.

“I am worried as he does not have the depth in economy, always needed people to tell him — what to think and what to do,” he said.
So far, he said, there had not been even one significant idea from Anwar as the economic advisor to the Selangor government. Worse, he said, Selangor had badly handled its water issue, which had dismayed developers, investors and the people.

“Why doesn’t he (Anwar) become economic advisor to Kelantan and Kedah if Pakatan believes he is good? Think seriously. Think of our future,” he said.
Reshuffle the cabinet

To a question that Anwar believed that he was destined to become the next prime minister, Daim said: “Well, destiny is an act of God. You can be only one heartbeat away from that post but man proposes, God disposes. I think God still loves Malaysia.”

Daim said he would support Najib Razak but the prime minister must fight corruption and crime, strengthen the nation’s security and review the education system.
He also said that Najib should reshuffle the cabinet.

“Bring in new faces. People think he is carrying too much deadwood in the cabinet. Most are already past their use-by date,” he said.
On the chances of the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the general election, Daim, whose prognosis was interestingly followed, said BN would win but there must be unity within the coalition.“Umno has about 3.3 million members, MCA, about one million and MIC, about 600,000. That’s already about half of the voters.

“Now, you only need some support from the fence-sitters, you should then be able to win. But BN must put new and clean candidates who are acceptable to voters,” he said.

Daim said that if the BN was not united, the opposition pact would do better, as what happened in 2008.
“Stay united, be loyal and don’t sabotage. We need a steady and experienced hand. Only BN has the experience.
“We have gone through crisis after crisis, and recovered very quickly. We have to tell the Chinese that we cannot experiment. Look at Japan. Look around us. Look at Britain. Study what is happening,” he said.
Daim said Anwar had repeatedly said that there would be an Arab Spring-like demonstration should the opposition lose in the next general election because of what they deem as “cheating”.
“He (Anwar) has set the stage to justify their losses if they lose in the next general election. Pakatan is prepping the people so that they can scapegoat the government and the Election Commission.
“First, we are not an Arab country. And second, if there was rigging in previous general elections, how did Pakatan win five states in 2008?
“Arab Spring has turned out to be an Arab Fall (for the lack of a unifying leadership and the instability it has induced),” he said.

WOMEN TO BE ‘EYES AND EARS OF GOVERNMENT’, SAYS NAJIB RAZAK

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak launched a women community group programme today to enable women to report crime and threats to national security.

The 1 Malaysia Perwani Community programme, which aims to set up 100,000 Perwani groups throughout Malaysia comprising 10 to 20 women each, will be linked to organisations like the Police Families Association (Perkep), the Malaysian Armed Forces Family Welfare Association (Bakat) and the Wives of Civil Servants and Women Civil Servants Association (Puspanita).

“The role of the Perwani group is to be the eyes and ears of the government in fighting crime and threats to national security,” said Najib Razak in a speech at the One Million Women Purple Walk event at Dataran Putrajaya here today.

“This can be achieved through current organisations like residents’ associations, Puspanita, Perkep, Bakat, Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs), and other NGOs like women’s and single mothers’ groups,” he added.

Najib Tun Razak also stressed to the crowd of thousands of women dressed in purple that the government wanted to empower women and include them in the mainstream of the country’s development process.

“In our struggle to realise our country’s vision, women play an important role,” he said at the event celebrating International Women’s Day 2013.

Najib Tun Razak  pointed out that 30 out of 62 High Court judges are women.

Najib Razak also urged government-linked corporations to appoint at least one woman in their boards.

However, the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) latest Gender Inequality Index released last week showed that Malaysia ranked 42 out of 148 countries surveyed last year.

While Malaysia performed better than Thailand (66), the Philippines (77) and Indonesia (106), the country again trailed Singapore, which placed 13 in the chart that graded countries based on the level of women’s empowerment, their economic activity and their reproductive health.

While women make up half of Malaysia’s 13.1 million-strong registered voters, the UNDP noted that women formed only 13.2 per cent of the elected lawmakers in Parliament.

Political analysts and observers have said that women and young voters form a significant voting bloc that could decide which party wins the 13th general elections due just weeks away.

Najib Razak said today that women made up 62 per cent of university graduates.

The UNDP, however, reported last Friday that women comprised only 43.8 per cent of the Malaysian workforce, showing men still dominated the labour market.

According to the UNDP, 29 Malaysian women died from pregnancy-related problems for every 100,000 who delivered their babies safely.

The global theme for International Women’s Day this year is ending violence against women.

Domestic violence, however, has been on the rise in Malaysia for the past three years, from 3,173 cases in 2010 to 3,488 cases last year, based on police and government statistics provided by NGO Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO).

But rape has declined steadily over the years from 3,626 cases in 2009 to 2,998 cases in 2012.

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 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," he 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.  
Najib Razak 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," he 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 Najib tun Razak, 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 Pakatan Rakyat (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 Mentri Besar 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 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 BN manifesto will be ready by the end of this month while activists from the component parties have already started their ground work.

PM advises people not to believe rumours that security has been undermined

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today advised the people, particularly those in Sabah, against believing rumours that the country’s security has been undermined by the armed intrusion in Lahad Datu and nearby areas.

The prime minister Najib Tun Razak said the shooting incidents were confined to three locations – Lahad Datu, Semporna and Kunak.“Rumours are unfounded and not based on the actual situation. The people of Sabah should not be fearful of their safety,” he told reporters after opening the main campus of Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) in Pauh near here.

Najib Razak said the security forces were undertaking operations at the three locations in accordance with the situation.“Let’s give them the opportunity and time to carry out their operations and overpower the group and rescue those in need,” he said.

Malaysia’s economy to grow 4.5% to 5.5% in 2013, says Ahmad Husni

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is confident the economy can grow between 4.5% and 5.5% this year, with the positive results emerging from the time-tested economic and fiscal policies.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said the Government Transformation Programme and the Economic Transformation Plan had yielded encouraging gross domestic product growth.
This has been proven based on the fourth quarter economic performance last year, with the national economy growing at 6.4%, contributing 5.6% in annual growth, he said.
Describing the growth as an “impressive feat” considering the prevailing weak world economy, Ahmad Husni said Malaysia was “buffered” to the highest possible extent from the “toxic effects” of the global economic and financial crises.

“The end-result of our tireless efforts restored investors’ confidence in the future prospects of our economy…enough for them to invest RM135.9bil in 2012 alone,” he told reporters at the Asian Corporate Giants’ Forum.

So far this year, the minister said he was cautiously optimistic because of the “lingering uncertainties” from the protracted economic and financial crises.
“However, if the current situation persists, the country should be able to register a higher growth, with its strength being the domestic economy, in particular domestic investments,” he said.
Ahmad Husni said Malaysia has managed to woo substantial private investments with the launch of the economic transformation programme.

On the supply side, all sectors are also contributing positively to the national economic growth, he added. – Bernama