Monday 25 March 2013

AN INSPIRATION TO EVERYONE: Transcript of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's speech at the 206th Police Day celebration yesterday



FIRSTLY, let us together raise our thanks to Allah SWT, for with His blessings, we are able to gather at the guard of honour and parade in conjunction with the 206th Police Day celebration this morning.
I would like to take this opportunity to convey my appreciation and gratitude to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) for inviting me and wife to join this glittering and meaningful ceremony.

Indeed, our beloved Malaysia will not be in the present state -- a country that is becoming more and more successful, a modern industrialised country with medium-high income -- without peace and stability made possible by the noble sacrifice of patriots from the Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysian armed forces.

Since the eras of Emergency until the confrontation, your good selves and predecessors have been loyal and relentless in answering the clarion call of the beloved motherland.
We hold in high regard the 10 fallen national warriors, eight of them members of the PDRM, who had made the ultimate sacrifice for the country. Let us make their sacrifice the example of an absolute sacrifice and an inspiration to us.

Indeed, your service will not be in vain as mocked by certain quarters.
On behalf of the government, the people and the country who are indebted to you, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all of you who are still adorning and had adorned the security forces' uniforms.

Your good deeds will be remembered for all time. The government will continue to look after the welfare of members of PDRM and the armed forces.

The government's commitment to the welfare of PDRM officers and men cannot be denied. The government of the day has always fulfilled its promises. We walk the talk.

As announced at the Civil Service Premier Gathering, or MAPPA, recently, effective Jan 1, 2013, the government has agreed to harmonise the ranks in PDRM to match the structure in the civil service in line with the levels of posts or salary grades. This entails changes in the scope of job functions, rank structure and qualification in the PDRM.

For example, an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) on Grade 48 will have the post harmonised to the civil service Grade 52, while a superintendent on grade 41 will have the post harmonised to Grade 48.
As for the harmonisation of other ranks, firstly, a corporal on Grade 17 in PDRM will have the post harmonised with Grade 22 in the civil service. Secondly, a sergeant on Grade 17 will have the post harmonised with Grade 20 in the civil service.

The government has also streamlined the rates of PDRM allowances, such as the housing, entertainment and fixed allowances.

In the quest to improve the welfare of PDRM officers and men, I would like to announce that the government has agreed to approve the implementation of a group insurance scheme that will benefit 112,145 police officers and men.

NKRA to reduce crime

The government would also like to congratulate PDRM for its success in reducing the crime rate by 27 per cent in the past three years since the implementation of the National Key Results Areas (NKRAs).
Hence, the government will ensure that PDRM's capacity is upgraded and restructured to meet the demands of crime-fighting.

Indeed, we cannot be complacent. Instead, we should redouble our efforts and cooperation with various quarters to ensure that the crime rate can be reduced to a minimum level by 2020.

Thus, the police will be transformed from a security force to a people-oriented police service. This is because the police service will not succeed without the support of the people.

PDRM's era as a paramilitary police has ended. Today, PDRM should change to a community-service policing service endowed with high professionalism and integrity.

Thus, I would like to urge the people to work hand in hand with the police and authorities, for the security and stability of the country is a joint responsibility.

The government will always give support and encouragement to PDRM in ensuring the rule of law, and that peace and public order are maintained.

Declaration of Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone)

To provide a legal basis for the setting up of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) and to protect the democratic rights and process for the people of Sabah and to strengthen security, public order and prosperity in eastern Sabah, I would like to announce that I have received the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as enshrined under the Preservation of Public Safety Ordinance 1962, to declare the setting up of the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone, comprising 10 districts -- namely Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau -- effective today.
The 10 districts will be administered by a committee that will be formed under the Public Security Regulations 2013 promulgated by the home minister. The committee, which will also be known as the Eastern Sabah Safe Zone Committee, will be headed by the Sabah chief minister and assisted by a chief executive officer and members who will be named later.

The chief executive officer, who will be a member of the public, will be responsible for coordinating and safeguarding the functions and activities of the security forces and government departments and agencies in implementing all initiatives in Esszone. The committee, which will be based in Lahad Datu, will be responsible to a steering committee headed by me as the head of government.

I would also like to inform you that, today, three cabins that will be used to serve as the headquarters of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) have arrived in Lahad Datu. This means that Esccom will become functional in several days.

Apart from this, seven police posts will be set up in eastern Sabah. All these have been verified by the chief secretary to the government, which I have discussed the matter with, the home minister and the inspector-general of police.

The seven posts will be in Pulau Bum Bum, Pulau Gaya, Pulau Banggi, Pulau Mabul, Tambisan, Tanjung Labian, and Cenderawasih in Felda Sahabat, while the Sandakan police headquarters will also be beefed up.

It is anticipated that the areas will get cabins that will be used for the posts in early April. This means the implementation is very fast by capitalising on pragmatic methods.

By setting up the Esszone Committee, the government is adopting a holistic approach and not purely a military approach to protect eastern Sabah and find a solution to the intrusion issue.
Let me reaffirm that the declaration is not an emergency declaration under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution.

Secondly, it will not deter a fair, transparent and democratic general election process at all.
Thirdly, the regulations imposed under the ordinance will not give additional powers to the police. The police's existing authority is adequate to deal with the situation.

Fourthly, anyone who feels that his rights have been undermined can take the government to court through legal process. And finally, life will go on as usual in the designated areas but with heightened security to ensure the people's wellbeing.

Hence, I would like to explain that the Security Offences Act (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), which is applied to conduct investigations and make arrests in all cases involving the terrorists in Sabah right now, is merely procedural.

It was not enacted as an act to give power to declare a security area like the Internal Security Act 1960.
People arrested under Sosma will be charged under ordinary laws and subjected to trial just like in other criminal cases.

The Attorney-General's Chambers will hold a news conference today to answer questions pertaining to the legal aspects.

Resettlement

Realising that the vulnerability of several settlements to the easy infiltration of illegal immigrants and stateless persons was the primary cause of the Sulu terrorist intrusion into Lahad Datu and other parts of eastern Sabah, I would like to announce that the government will launch an initiative to resettle people living in several locations in eastern Sabah to maintain public safety.

The initiative, under Part III of the Preservation of Public Security Regulations 2013, will enable the government to resettle any individual or a group of people, particularly any individual or a group of people who are illegal immigrants or stateless persons, in a safe and suitable area determined by the government.

It must be emphasised here that the decision to resettle any individual or a group of people is for the sake of maintaining public security.

In undertaking this resettlement, the government will take into consideration the safety and wellbeing of not only the people to be relocated but also the people living in the designated area of resettlement.
Apart from this, the government will consider all resettlement aspects, including the sources of income of the people involved, and hold discussions with district, native or village chiefs of the community living in the designated area of resettlement.

The need to discuss with district, native or village chiefs is to ensure that the interests of the people already living in the area of resettlement are protected.

As I have mentioned earlier, in pursuing the government's goal of ensuring the people's fundamental rights and the rule of law will be preserved and protected, the government will ensure that the resettlement:

WILL not prevent any aggrieved citizen in the designated area from challenging the government's decision on the resettlement; and,

WILL not prevent any citizen from exercising his right as a voter in any parliamentary or state election.
Realising that the resettlement will involve Malaysians, either as those to be resettled or those already living in the area of resettlement, the government will help those citizens whose rights under the Federal Constitution have been undermined by the relocation.

Under the resettlement initiative, the government will provide a place to live and ensure the safety of the people relocated. This is because the government is aware that the relocation decision will give a major impact on the future of those involved. Migration to a new place involves adapting to a new environment.
On humanitarian grounds and to ensure that the people involved can benefit from the relocation initiative, the government will ensure that public healthcare, medical services and sanitation will be provided to the people living in the area of resettlement, besides opportunities for basic education and employment.
The government will provide training and equipment, if necessary, to the people living in the area of resettlement to start life anew.

Towards this end, the government will request for cooperation, assistance and contribution from organisations or bodies locally or abroad.
I would like to announce that the resettlement initiative is not only to benefit those to be relocated but also those living in the surrounding areas, for the government will carry out programmes for their welfare and wellbeing.
Although the initiative is confined to eastern Sabah for the time being, it does not mean that western Sabah is being neglected. For the time being, the need for safety is now more pressing in the east. The initiative will be extended to the whole of Sabah at a suitable time.

On the whole, I would like to stress that the government has never doubted the loyalty of Malaysian citizens of Suluk descent.

They are citizens who enjoy the rights provided for by the Federal Constitution and the other laws of the country, and the government will continue to protect their legitimate rights and champion their welfare.
I would like to praise the people of Kampung Senalang in Semporna for their bravery and sacrifice in overcoming a terrorist on March 3. In their attempt to defend themselves and the country, the terrorist was killed. Their deed and bravery are most appreciated.

Conclusion

To conclude, I would like to congratulate the Royal Malaysia Police on the 206th anniversary celebration. It culminates a long journey for a towering organisation.

Let us join hands to chart a better future for us, and our children and grandchildren.

The people of Malaysia and I dream of having a professional, effective and exemplary police service. A service endowed with exemplary police officers and men, equipped with adequate and latest equipment, and a well-trained force having world-class skills to implement the 21st-century policing service.

We dream of a high-income developed country where the streets, housing areas and public places are free from crime to ensure that Malaysians and their families throughout the country do not fear that their safety is at stake. Let us come together to make this dream a reality.


Read more: Police's deeds will be remembered - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/police-s-deeds-will-be-remembered-1.241791#ixzz2OcIwJm4K

FOR THE PEOPLE: Well-conceptualised, designed and executed policies can raise the lot of the people .


PEMANDU's Annual Report was unveiled last week to much praise and, of course, criticism. Given the tumultuous political times that we live in, this is only to have been expected.

Before we get caught up in the heat of the moment, however, we may want to stop and remember that economics, for our purposes, is not about winning arguments but people - real, living, breathing people; our people.

Bad economic policies have the power to cause untold human misery. We see this in many parts of the world. Good economic policies, on the other hand, have capacity to uplift, enlighten and empower, in other words, to transform.

Of course we need hard numbers to help us chart and navigate our course. But these must be treated with absolute respect, scrupulousness and objectivity so that we are not turned into cynics.

Economic statistics tell us about the past. What they mean for the future is entirely more debatable.
All the flashy presentations or populist rhetoric in the world cannot raise the living standards of ordinary Malaysians one iota. Only well conceptualised, designed and executed policies can raise the lot of the living.

So what are good and bad economic policies? How do we tell the difference between what is currently on offer? Listed below are seven suggested indicators.

The reader is free to add or amend them and then critically evaluate the various proposals and manifestos being floated or implemented to see how well they fit.

Having done so, there should be good solid debate.

Rather than childish name calling, we ought to welcome diverse views, knowing that difficult as they are to stomach, they contribute to better final outcomes.

FIRST, good economic policies are practical.

It is all nice and good to have high-sounding goals but if they do not work and cannot be put into practice then they are for all intents and purposes useless.

There was, for example, a time when socialism looked like the solution to the world's woes.
After almost a hundred and fifty years, however, we now know that common ownership of the means of production does not work.

SECOND, good economic policies fully recognise interdependencies.

So long as there is scarcity of resources, actions taken will face trade-offs and will have effects that are transmitted to other sectors of the economy.

As incomes rise, for example, the quality of life increases but so, too, do costs.

If real costs do not rise, then any so-called increase in incomes and the ensuing quality of life would be extremely doubtful indeed.

THIRD, good economic policies do not reward unproductive behaviour and penalise productive behaviour. They do not present opportunities for rent-seeking, moral hazard and entitlement mind sets, much less corruption.

It is debatable whether rent seeking is a necessary evil in the early stages of development. What is certain is that if economic growth is to be an activity of the many rather than the few, this cannot and must not continue.

FOURTH, and at the risk of sounding dreary, good economic policies are financially sustainable. They do not force bad choices to be made in the present, and they do not pose a financial burden to the next generation.

The discussion about public debt in this country is wrongly based. It is not about bankruptcy, which is a very remote possibility, but much better decisions for our present and future Malaysians.

FIFTH, good economic policies are all about innovation. If the policies are not about doing things differently but are grounded in the status quo, they are likely to be reactionary rather than forward-looking.

Innovation must be large-scale and micro in nature. It must lead to radical change not just of industries and infrastructure but also organisations, systems, practices, values and attitudes.

SIXTH, good economic policies are externally oriented. Malaysia's future lies as much, if not more, beyond its borders as within. If economic policies are productive, they will have an external frame of reference.

Policies that seek to resist or delay external pressures are extremely suspect. They come at a cost and that cost is borne by Malaysians, not just households but businesses and the government itself.

SEVENTH, good economic policies build social capital and inclusiveness. Inclusiveness is much overused these days but for countries like Malaysia it is particularly important given the size of existing disparities.

Malaysia urgently needs a new robust and systemic framework to rebuild social capital and roll-back disparities -- not just of income and wealth but abilities and opportunities -- without returning to outdated models and practices.

These indicators are by no means complete and can be added to. It might also be argued that two or more are, to some degree, conflicting. This, however, is the real nature of economic policy - making the best choices among the options open and then acting accordingly.


Read more: Good, practical economic policies - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/good-practical-economic-policies-1.241796#ixzz2OcANS7Vf

Nothing to fear from automatic dissolution By Alang Bendahara | alang@mediaprima.com.my


BUSINESS AS USUAL: Negri Sembilan's administration will continue serving the people until the next general election
IF Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak does not call for a dissolution of Parliament and advise other states under Barisan Nasional government rule to jointly do so by today, then at the stroke of midnight on March 27, Negri Sembilan will make national history on Thursday to become the first state legislative assembly to enter automatic dissolution.
According to the state legislative assembly Speaker, Datuk Razak Mansor, the assemblymen took their oath, signed the watikah and held its first session on March 27, 2008, thus making tomorrow the last day of its five-year mandate from the people.
According to Election Commission (EC) data, Negri Sembilan is the only state in Malaysia (excluding Sarawak, which held its 10th state assembly sitting on June 22, 2011) which will dissolve in March as it was among the earliest states to convene its state assembly after the 12th general election on March 8, 2008.
Other states' first assemblies were held as follows: Pahang, April 7, 2008; Johor and Malacca, April 21, 2008; Selangor, April 22, 2008; Perak, April 25, 2008; Perlis and Kelantan, April 28, 2008; Penang, May 2, 2008; and lastly, Terengganu, Sabah and Kedah, May 5, 2008.
The Dewan Rakyat's first session was on April 28, 2008.
With the dissolution of the Negri Sembilan state assembly, the EC will have 60 days to call an election for the 36 state seats, and that date ends on May 28.
It should be noted that last week in Pekan, EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar told the media that their decision to hold state and parliamentary elections simultaneously in the upcoming 13th general election is final and it was made after considering several factors, including cost savings.
If the prime minister decides to stretch and let Parliament serve its full term, and counting the 60-day period from Negri Sembilan's automatic dissolution, as well as what the EC said, the 13th general election could fall anywhere between April 28 and May 28 this year.
Public holidays during this period are May 1 (Workers Day), May 7 (Hol Day of Pahang and only for Pahang), May 17 (Birthday of Raja of Perlis and for Perlis only), and May 24 (Wesak Day for all states).
Coming back to Negri Sembilan, a lot of people who are not well informed on automatic dissolution voiced their fears that the state administration will come to a halt due to the automatic dissolution of the state legislative assembly.
This is not true, said Prof Datuk Abd Halim Sidek, a political analyst and law professor at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.
According to Halim, Malaysia follows the Westminster style of government which has three branches of power -- the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.
"At the stroke of midnight on March 27, only the Legislature would be automatically dissolved, while the Executive and Judiciary still runs.
"This means the state legislative assembly can no longer hold any session, which means the assemblymen can no longer go into the Dewan, they cannot table, debate, pass, or amend any laws.
"But the executive power which is the state secretary, the Menteri Besar's office, and state administration can continue running the state administration based on any policies, rules, laws that have been approved before the automatic dissolution, but they cannot sign new decrees, approve or ban any projects," said Halim.
Thus, during this period, a caretaker government will be formed from the existing administration as its services need to run as usual. For example, people need to go to land offices to get their sale and purchase agreements signed, and the police will continue to do their job.
Halim said the Judiciary would also function as usual with courts going into session and people could be prosecuted, charged and even hanged.
At the same time, state assemblymen would still receive their salary through warrants as they are still the people's representative until the 13th general election result replaces them.
"Assemblymen still need to serve the people right until the day a new person is elected to replace them, so their salary will continue as they need the money to meet and help the people. They may no longer be able to enter the dewan (but) they are still the representatives of the people," he said.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has also repeatedly told the people that the administration will continue serving the people even after the end of the mandate until the next general election.
For the state's more than one million citizens, this is reassuring as the current leadership has proven its capabilities in bringing steady development to Negri Sembilan.
The 557,022 registered voters in the state, meanwhile, will be eagerly awaiting the EC's announcement for the nomination and polling dates.


Read more: Nothing to fear from automatic dissolution - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/nothing-to-fear-from-automatic-dissolution-1.241794#ixzz2Oc9NpqJ4

Negri Sembilan state legislative assembly to dissolve


TERM ENDS MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY: State govt will function in caretaker role from Thursday
SEREMBAN: THE Negri Sembilan state legislative assembly will be dissolved on Thursday, making it the first in the country to be automatically disbanded after the 2008 general election.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said after the dissolution, its state executive committee would continue to function as the caretaker state government as provided for under the state constitution.

"Under Article 56 (3) of the Undang-Undang Tubuh Negeri Sembilan 1959 (the Laws of the Constitution of Negri Sembilan 1959), unless the state assembly is dissolved earlier than the end of its five-year term, then it will be automatically dissolved five years from the date of the first sitting of the assembly.

"Under the Interpretations Acts 1948 and 1967, the end of the five-year term falls on the day after the first sitting of the assembly and not on the 'hari kejadian' (date of occurrence) which falls on March 28," he told a hastily-called press conference at his official residence yesterday.

Previously, Mohamad was reported to have said that today was the last day of the state assembly and that the state legislative assembly would be automatically dissolved tomorrow.

Earlier at a function where he handed over loans and tithes to some Negri Sembilan Islamic Council-sponsored students from the Middle East, Mohamad said since the five-year period had automatically lapsed, there was no need for him to obtain the consent of the state ruler for dissolution.

"Starting Thursday, I will cease to be a 'wakil rakyat' as the state assembly is dissolved but I am still the menteri besar heading the caretaker government to oversee the daily running of the state administration, including taking care of the well-being of the people and salary payment of civil servants.

"There has to be a caretaker government because we will have to pay wages and look into other matters during the period... Without a caretaker government, there will be anarchy.

"However, we will not draft any new policy or make big decisions such as approving the sale of thousands of acres of land.

"We cannot do that as it is immoral and unethical even though we are still in power."

Mohamad, who is also Negri Sembilan Islamic Council (MAINS) chairman, handed over per capita allocations to Sekolah Menengah Agama Negeri, Sekolah Agama Bantuan Rakyat, Sekolah Agama Rakyat, Kelas Al-Quran and Fardu Ain, Sekolah Tahfiz and Tadika Islam.

Mohamad said after the state assembly was dissolved, the Election Commission has a maximum of 60 days to call for a state election.

Mohamad, who is also Barisan Nasional state liaison committee chief, said there would be no changes in the allocation of seats for state BN component parties in the next general election.

"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has also been informed about this when we met during the nationwide BN state liaison chiefs meeting held recently."



Read more: Negri state assembly to dissolve - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/negri-state-assembly-to-dissolve-1.241940?localLinksEnabled=false#ixzz2Oc8M5cBk

Sunday 24 March 2013

Its not that Anwar do not love Jui Meng but likes (scared of) Kit Siang more

 Chgua Jui Meng
 Anwar Ibrahim
Lim Kit Siang

Lim Kit Siang’s migration from Perak to a Johor seat signals a big power play for the Chinese seats in Umno’s fortress but it will push the Malay vote to Barisan Nasional.


Joceline Tan



REPORTERS in Johor have been looking high and low for Datuk Chua Jui Meng. The Johor PKR chief has not been taking calls, his mobile phone has been switched off and he seems to have dropped out of the Johor political scene.

Even his aides have not been reachable. The media people are puzzled as to why he has disappeared at a time when every politician is trying to keep a high profile. The former MCA minister is not exactly an easy man to interview. He often talks like he is sitting in an ivory tower but he is always courteous and gentlemanly to the ladies.

Jui Meng’s no-show behaviour started after it was confirmed that PKR was giving up the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat for DAP’s Lim Kit Siang to contest in the general election.

Jui Meng had been eyeing Gelang Patah for himself and he is furious at the way his party has been made to play second fiddle to DAP in Johor.

Like many politicians, he has an inflated ego. He feels that as the state party chief, he should have a major say on seats and candidates. Instead, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim seems to be making all the decisions without taking his views into account.

He had wanted DAP to give up Bakri in exchange for Gelang Patah but DAP’s Johor chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau has told him to “go fly a kite”. Moreover, this was coming on the heels of PKR giving up the Bentong parliamentary seat to DAP.


Tan: Famous daughter outflanked by ex-general.
“All sorts of rumours are flying around. Some PKR people said he may go in as an independent. That will be interesting to watch,” said a Johor reporter.

The DAP people never got along with Jui Meng when he was in MCA and after he joined PKR. They say he has too much baggage, find him to be a diva and feel he should climb down from his high horse.

Jui Meng is not the only one to be played out by his own party. His Johor Baru chief Tan Poh Lai was all prepared to contest in Johor Baru but Anwar has named a retired general as the party’s Johor Baru candidate.

Tan, an attractive lawyer, is the daughter of the late Tan Sri Dr Tan Chee Khoon who was better known as “Mr Opposition”.

Tan probably had some inkling that she was about to be shuffled aside. During a PKR luncheon last month, she announced that she was the potential candidate for Johor Baru.

It was Tan’s rather amateurish way of pre-empting any queue-jumping, her way of saying: “Hello, this is my seat, okay?” Her party vice-president Tian Chua who was at the lunch was taken aback and issued a statement cautioning against premature announcements.

People in PKR cannot quite understand some of Anwar’s decisions of late but they know he intends to enlist the help of several other retired and high-ranking army officers to help its Johor campaign.

He thinks it will help counter the bad press the party has suffered over Lahad Datu. But they had better think twice about using these ex-army top guns as ceramah speakers because some of them speak as though they are addressing the troops rather than voters.

Jui Meng may soon become yesterday’s news. The kopitiam talk has been less about him than about DAP and Kit Siang.


Shahrir: ‘Up to voters to decide what they want’
Kit Siang is trying to break new ground in the south while the younger Lim takes care of the north.

His party has said he is making a “big sacrifice” and his admirers call it a homecoming because he is from Batu Pahat. They say he is taking a huge career risk in Gelang Patah. But insiders say he has done his homework and is confident of winning.

Kit Siang leading the charge in Johor is a tested formula which he has applied to mixed results over his 50-year career. He began in Malacca in 1969, moved to Selangor in 1978, Penang in 1986, Perak in 2004 and now Johor. There were wins and also losses but his biggest scalp was Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu whom he toppled in 1990.

Kit Siang is no sacrificial lamb and his aim is to create a ripple effect and help push through the other Pakatan candidates like PAS’ Salahuddin Ayub who is contesting in Nusajaya, one of two state seats in Gelang Patah.

They cannot win Johor but their bid for Gelang Patah and Nusajaya has symbolic purpose. Pakatan is striking at the heart of the Umno fortress. The multi-billion ringgit Iskandar economic zone is located there while the new state administrative centre is in Nusajaya.

PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu declared that Pakatan aimed to make the “kubu Umno” (Umno fortress) into “kubur Umno” (Umno’s grave).

Greener pastures

But over in Perak, the perception is that Kit Siang is moving on because DAP has given up all hope of recapturing Perak. He does not want to waste his time in Perak and wants to put his brandname to better use elsewhere.

At another level, it is about DAP trying to replace MCA as the Chinese connector. MCA has seven parliamentary seats in Johor which is about half of the 15 seats it won in 2008. DAP has been very successful in using the politics of hate and blame against Umno to defeat MCA.

Pakatan leaders have privately admitted they have no chance of taking Johor. The question is how many seats they can add to their tally of one parliamentary and six state seats.

Umno is confident that the majority of Malays will go with them. But the big Chinese crowds at DAP ceramah have cast doubts as to whether the Chinese are preparing to change horses.

The Johor Chinese are not deeply dissatisfied with the government but they have started to acquire an appetite for opposition politics and want to hear what Pakatan has to offer. Dr Boo has told people that he has never seen this level of support from the Chinese in his 20 years in politics.

“Lim Kit Siang is trying to be the voice of the Chinese in Johor. He wants to replace MCA by inciting the Chinese against Umno. Is that what politics in Johor is going to be about? It’s up to voters to think carefully about the kind of politics they want in Johor, the kind of politicians they want to represent them,” said Johor Baru MP Tan Sri Shahrir Samad.


Dr Boo: Johor strongman is moving to centrestage.
Kit Siang, as one analyst put it, has a reputation as some kind of Chinese folk hero and his track record as an opposition figure is quite unparalleled. His lifestyle is still remarkably simple after all these years and one of his few luxuries is the Rolex watch that is a gift from his family.

Kit Siang playing a leading role in Johor is a double-edged sword of sorts. He comes with loads of baggage for the Malays whose perception of him is the exact opposite of how the Chinese see him.

The senior generation of Malays associate him with the politics of 1969. Younger Malays do not relate to him or to the way his party champions Chinese interests. The elderly politician knows this. That was why he spoke solely in Malay the night that Anwar declared him as the Gelang Patah candidate.

Nusajaya assemblyman Datuk Aziz Sapian has described him as an outsider and said that Kit Siang should not assume he could plant himself anywhere he liked and expect people to accept him. Several local Chinese interviewed on Astro Awani earlier last week said they could accept DAP but not Kit Siang.

His habit of hopping from one seat to another and from state to state has lent him a certain image. It is not quite like speed dating but it has given him a reputation as some sort of political hit man who goes bang-bang-bang in one place and when its mission is accomplished, he moves on to the next victim.

It worked very well during the years when DAP was a struggling opposition party and people saw it as a necessary survival tactic. But DAP is now part of the government in Penang, Selangor and Kedah, and the hitman formula may not get the same sort of reception.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has called him a “Touch n Go” politician.

“As a parliamentarian, he raises pertinent issues. But to go from place to place the way he does, it shows that his politics is about Chinese killing off the Chinese. What he is doing is not going to lead to a two-party system. It will be more like a two-race system,” said Dr Chua.

The MCA leader has asked Johoreans to evaluate the policies and plans that have been put in place in the state.

“Johor has benefited most from the PM’s economic transformation policies and the state government has been good to the people. The Chinese groups and associations in the state know that, we have a close working relationship,” he said.

Of the 26 parliamentary seats in Johor, PKR is contesting 11, PAS eight and DAP seven. Despite all the hype that the political tsunami has reached Johor, only DAP is sure of winning any of the parliamentary seats.

On paper, Gelang Patah looks tough because MCA won the seat by more than 8,800 votes. But DAP is banking on the new and first-time voters to make a difference.

Johor has seen a registration surge of some 267,000 new voters with some 26,000 registered in Gelang Patah alone. Almost half of these new voters are Chinese and that is what Kit Siang hopes to ride on. Even then, DAP needs at least 30% of Malay votes in order to push past the tape.

Kit Siang, 72, is looking rather jaded and his ceramah speeches often sound like an old record but he is still as tenacious as ever. Over the next few weeks, he can be expected to switch it up, to make Johor another do-or-die and now-or-never battle.

His party leaders will likely plead to his audience that this is Kit Siang’s last station. They will tug on the heartstrings of the Chinese to show their appreciation for all the years this old warrior has put into the political cause.

Kit Siang’s presence in Johor will shrink the Malay vote for Pakatan. But it signals a big Chinese play for seats in Umno’s fortress.

Interview with Malaysia's former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin .


Daim's take on Najib's administration

KUALA LUMPUR: Kedah-born Tun Daim Zainuddin -- Malaysia's former Finance Minister and a long-time UMNO treasurer -- speaks frankly about issues affecting Malaysia and Malaysians, in this translation of an interview that appeared in the Malay language daily, Mingguan Malaysia.

Q: What do you think of the country’s political development in 2012?

A: As we can see, the country’s political transformation seems to be more effective. The government has taken several initiatives and acted on what the Opposition had wanted to do like abolish ISA. I see the Peaceful Assembly Act as the main catalyst for change. At first, it was heavily criticised but the decision to allow Anwar’s supporters to gather outside the court on Jan 2 in the spirit of the new act which at the time has not been gazetted, silenced critics.

I will not comment on Anwar’s acquittal because the Attorney General’s Chambers has filed an appeal.
If you compare Anwar’s and Najib’s traits, you will be compelled to give higher marks to Najib. Najib has, in my opinion benefited from being Tun Razak’s son. From 1976 he has sharpened and shown his talents in politics, is skilled, more senior and experienced and has better network than those his age or more senior than him. He was in UMNO Youth several years before Anwar and is used to the personalities and issues faced by the party. His mind is very sharp in closed door meeting and he is extremely confident in facing the public. I am optimist about the political scenario this year. Najib has been tested with the toughest trials and tribulations and he is now ready to take the country forward. The most important issue now is whether Barisan Nasional (BN) is ready to move forward with him.

Q: This year, the main focus is the 13th General Election, do you think BN will be able to maintain its majority or otherwise?
A: It is up to the Prime Minister to decide on the most suitable time to call for the election. He can still announce the dissolution of the Dewan Rakyat in 2013 or allow Parliament to take its course and announce the election 60 days after Parliament is dissolved.
There are signs of new confidence in the country’s economy. There are certainty and reliability, and I have always stressed on these two aspects whenever I talk about the economy. I believe BN has a better advantage to have a more outstanding result now compared to previous years. It will be a great battle and the side which makes less mistakes will win.
Talking about the Chinese voters, they are feeling sidelined and want something better because they have been influenced by an agenda mastermind like Lim Kit Siang. He has played up to their sentiments but failed to see several important issues that have been raised.
The Chinese have invested a lot in education. They want to secure their future. This is a matter of communication. The government has never sidelined the Chinese. We have to convince them using statistics. Malay political parties never have any intention to bring down the opportunities of the Chinese but things are now improving. In the end, the Constitution will become the best guarantee in ensuring the harmony of all races. It has been equipped with a safety net and a just judicial system for all, and not one group can take away any privileges from other races.
The challenge now is to continue to develop the economy for everyone’s benefit. All businesses should keep growing and investment must be made in new talents and new areas. All communities have to cooperate to develop new talents in various sectors. The world is the market. The Malays are not the Chinese’s competitors and vice versa. We must steer students to mix with all races from primary school.
If you ask me if Malaysian politics has become more racist, my answer is no. The new media has brought change and irresponsible politicians have entered their radar to introduce new rhetoric to gain popularity. They have succeeded, but it is the people’s responsibility to think wisely and move away from the mainstream political scenario’s rhetoric and focus their time and energy on the new political philosophy. We must remember that Malaysia is our country and we all love our country and want to see it continue to prosper to benefit from its prosperity. Therefore, we must stay united. Unity will bring stability and peace and with our rich natural resources, the country will succeed.

Q: Do you think BN could regain control of states under the Opposition or lose more states to them?
A: From what I can see, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is the most skilled in politics compared to other Pakatan allies. They have more voice in injecting “fitnah” (slander) ideas. The word fitnah has power in the context of the local political arena. This is because PKR is a party that was conceived from the concept of fitnah and conspiracy. As long as there are people who accept fitnah and conspiracy, PKR will continue to exist.
I think Pakatan’s most tragic mistake in Selangor was the way they handled Datuk Dr Hasan Ali’s situation. He had tried to express his views and he was fired because of it. There was no warning or show cause letter and he was immediately red-carded. Everyone has the right to be heard and whether you agree or not is not the issue. Both PAS and PKR could not deny Umno’s argument that the decision was influenced by DAP. I have no intention to bring up racial politics. I am not associating DAP with any particular race but if we study this carefully, we can see that DAP is not comfortable with Hasan Ali. Anwar is also uncertain about him and therefore, he has to go. I’m sure part of the ulamas and professionals in PAS are against his sacking but they do not want to go against the wishes of their spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. This reveals their weakness and have not shown any signs of recovery.
BN has to be prepared with a new candidate to lead Selangor, someone who has an interesting academic qualification to attract the growing middle class in old university towns like Shah Alam, Bangi, Serdang and campus areas like Gombak, Sunway and Damansara. Old politics will not regain Selangor. You must be able to argue that warlord personalities have to be removed to convince new voters to vote for you. We must also respect UMNO’s traditional voters, but they have also become smarter and more informed, therefore UMNO-BN must be quick in sharing knowledge and information with them. Politics have changed and BN must move with time or face the consequences.
The urban population in Selangor and Federal Territory want their children to have the best education opportunity, own affordable real estate with value appreciation, and security is also a major concern. The success in reducing the crime index is an important political input but more has to be done to make the people feel safe.
I am confident about BN’s chances in Selangor if it is united and determined. What needs to be done is to introduce a new leader who can be accepted voters.
If you ask Guan Eng and Anwar about their chances in Penang, I think they will not be absolutely certain. They can sense that Najib’s popularity is increasing but Penang will still be a battle for BN.
As for Kelantan, I know who Datuk Mustapa Mohamed is. He is a gentleman who works 18 hours a day no-stop with honesty and can return to work the next day early in the morning. This is the quality of a leader wanted by the rakyat. Honesty, the passion to serve and the willingness to sacrifice. Kelantan has a natural leader in Tok Pa. I have never heard PAS say anything bad about him. He is a real threat to Nik Aziz. He should not just concentrate on Jeli. He must remember that he is a Kelantan leader. In the past, infighting was what failed UMNO there.
The same goes for Terengganu. I want to see people in Terengganu to cast out their differences. For the party’s struggles, the 'main contributors' to the split must make way to new faces like how the MCA leadership handed over power to their protegees in 2002 - 2003. UMNO has succeeded in Terengganu while PAS does not have new faces. I don’t think Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is the best candidate. Compared to Hadi, UMNO’s Menteri Besar candidate is more dynamic and energetic. UMNO must stay united and the voters will vote for them.
Moving on to Kedah, Negri Sembilan and Sabah. Kedah is Tunku Abdul Rahman’s and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s state. It saddens us to see this state under PAS and PAS has failed to show significant development. It is difficult for a poor state like Kedah to plan mega projects without financial assistance from the Federal government. PAS is now in crisis due to the attempt to seize power from the Menteri Besar. DAP and PKR were not satisfied with his administration as they think that he is too independent. There is a major chance here to merge the new blood with new leadership style, It is up to Umno to introduce dynamic, fresh faces to challenge Pakatan.
In Negri Sembilan and Sabah, once again, UMNO has to stay united to retain the states.

Q: On Anwar’s acquittal in his sodomy case and his political plans?
A: This proves that the conspiracy theory and allegation that the judicial system is not independent was not true. Now it is up to the rakyat to judge his track record.
He promised to takeover the government on Sept 16, 2008 and how he planned to do this had been revealed. According to a report, he planned to use RM300 million to buy BN members of Parliament. This must be true if not, he would have sued but he just kept quiet. This is typical for some politicians. They are very vocal and heavily accuse others but in reality, they are the same.
DAP and PAS also kept mum. Are they conspiring with PKR to commit corruption to takeover Putrajaya? I am sure all Malaysians would want to hear from them. Anwar’s plan has never changed. He wants to become the Prime Minister and he doesn’t care how he does this. Anwar is an ambitious man and this has blinded him to the truth, honesty and fairness. It is a shame that he has not overcome his weakness and highlighted his virtues.

Q: Do you think Anwar has gone overboard in sowing hatred among the people and vilifying the Malaysian government overseas?
A: One of the reasons why Anwar loves to be interviewed overseas is to show Malaysian voters that he is a world personality and therefore, the news must be taken seriously. He realises that he has to come up with strong statements and controversial arguments and appear bold and convincing so that more foreign reporters want to be the first to quote him in the hope to recreate a model of a liberal Muslim leader.
For them an ideal Muslim leader must be liberal, accepts global trends like gay rights, is not hostile to Israel and the United States of America and condemns extremism.
That is why BBC asked him to comment on laws concerning homosexuals and the Wall Street Journal on Israel.
He wants to portray himself as a Muslim leader who is accepted by all but here, we know that his stance is influenced by foreign parties. Malaysians must analyse other aspects through Anwar’s media campaigns, such as his allegation towards the government and country about election fraud and widespread corruption. His efforts have extended overseas, where he would try to expose the so-called ‘sins of the government’.
Does he have to attack Malaysia overseas? All he has to do is display the success of the Pakatan Rakyat-owned states to the Malaysian voters, and then ask for the mandate to conquer Putrajaya and implement his ‘miracle’ reforms. Anwar is not doing this because he wastes so much time overseas.
Anwar is a major threat to Umno and BN but in my opinion, the bigger threat is Pas. I see Pas as a worthy opponent. But theirs is a partnership with Anwar as Pakatan Rakyat is desperate to make him their leader. I foresee Anwar trying to be prime minister all his life, and he can keep trying. But he needs to back his bid with hard facts and empirical evidence to push for change. More and more people today are beginning to oppose Anwar because he’s still at base level, grounded in the same rhetoric and allegations for the last few years.
I think the biggest and most effective strategy for UMNO-BN is to continue focusing on economic development, providing better housing, world-class public transport and world-class universities.
We have to sidestep the Anwar issue and get some of our youth leaders to tackle all the baseless allegations he’s been throwing at us. The country’s more competent and high-personality leaders need to be discussing the issues that affect Malaysians such as education and economy. They should not be trapped by Anwar’s tactics. That is not part of their mandate. Their mandate is to ensure well-being, quality of life, combat corruption, as well as foster an efficient and trusworthy government.
Anwar’s biggest hope is to distract the government. If we play to his tune, it will make him happy and allow him to continue misleading us.
His acquittal will in the long run help UMNO-BN attain a great result in GE13 as it denounces his main excuse to blame the government.
Everyone has a right to voice their views and in Anwar’s case, his political survival is at stake. He will do anything to remain relevant. What I cannot accept is that he does it all to fulfil his personal agenda. Anwar has degraded some of the country’s major institutions, like the judiciary, police, and government which are vital for the creation of a civil society.
With his continued attacks, Anwar has made the rakyat lose faith in these insitutions. If you subscribe to his logic, it means you are allowed to break traffic rules because police are corrupt, and it is alright to live in a state of anarchy because he says the police and the judiciary are not trusworthy. Yes, it’s true there are ‘bad apples’ in any institution but the institution itself needs to be preserved. Unfortunately, Anwar has constantly threatened the well-being of our society. This is a very irresponsible act.

Q: What is the most important change UMNO-BN has to make to ensure its survival among the rakyat, a majority of whom were born after Merdeka?
A: The most important change is terms of work ethic. The PM once said: change or collapse. Umno has to be more transparent as well as combat corruption and wastage to the fullest. Those who are born post-merdeka are different from previous voters. They are more educated, informed and IT savvy. In the 60s, their parents influenced them, but today they are influencing their parents through knowledge of current issues and debates supported by convincing facts and figures. If BN fails to appreciate this group, they will not get votes.

Q: How do you see the new generation within UMNO, are they as spirited as their predecessors?
A: Actually, they no longer want to see a government that is corrupt and racially divided. They want to see issues being resolved the Malaysian way and not the racial way. The economy is very important to them. They want to see the country heading in the right direction under the leadership of someone they trust. They do not believe in empty promises and expect the government to fulfil their promises. Do not lose their support if you want their votes.

Q: As former finance minister, how do you perceive the allegation that Malaysia will be bankrupt by 2020 because its debt is bound to reach RM1.6 trillion from the RM450 billion currently?
A: The country’s debt is still at a manageable level compared to countries facing trouble such as Japan and those in Europe. Some analysts are worried that our debt is increasing at a speedy rate, from 53.1 per cent in 2010 to 54.8 per cent this year. It is only an increase of 1.3 per cent which is not much, but the hike rate is higher compared to last year. This is necessary as a response to the global financial crisis which began in 2008. The crisis threatened Malaysia’s economy causing it to continually decline. The government then acted swiftly by injecting a large fiscal stimulus under several programs and the result was that the country’s economy improved at a better rate of between seven per cent in 2010 and five to six per cent last year.
We need to take the country’s debt level into perspective here. The ratio of government debt to KDNK decreased from 75.5 per cent in 1990 to 41.5 per cent in 2007. The latest increase is due to worldwide economic recession and large subsidies required to support the increase in food and energy prices. The government pledged to reduce the fiscal deficit to 4.7 per cent this year which will reduce the need for more funds (debt). As a result, the debt level is unlikely to reach 100 per cent in 2019. One thing about the national debt is that most of it comes from domestic loans. This method is more stable and does not expose Malaysia to sudden outflows of large capital.
Therefore, the national debt situation is not as worrying as bandied about by certain quarters. Personally I would advise the government to control and reduce this debt as soon as possible. It would benefit them and allay any criticism towards the issue.

Q: How do you view Malaysia’s economy now following the status of neighbouring countries like Indonesia and Vietnam who are better positioned? What is actually required to generate the country’s economy towards a better direction?
A: A country which is at an ‘acceleration stage’ can usually achieve a high growth rate. Malaysia achieved this between 1986 and 1997. Now we see it in Vietnam and Indonesia which are currently in development stage. However, we are better off now as our economy is a knowledge-based economy, with expertise in ICT, education and health services among others.
The New Economic Model has identified a target to be met to become a fully developed nation. Malaysia possesses a fine base to become a successful economic presence - skilled labour, infrastructure sources, and flexible policies - that can generate high economic growth.
We should also be encouraging our multi-ethnic society to maximise the advantage of Asia being a prime location for rapid growth. Based on a report by HSBC last year titled ‘The World in 1950’, Asian countries like China, India, Philippines and Malaysia were included among those undergoing rapid development.

Q: Technological advancements have alterred the country’s socio-political landscape whereby society is more free and critical, but this newfound freedom has also caused discord, especially among Malays. In your opinion, how can we ensure the Malays remain united to maintain their survival?
A: In truth, the Malays have always been divided. The only time they were united was when they opposed the Malayan Union and when UMNO was born. After that, we’ve seen the formation of too many factions - Parti Rakyat, Semangat 46 and now Keadilan - which champions its own cause. The Malay divide is a complex issue but for them to unite, it must not see the interference of ‘exclusive’ policies. I believe Malays need to pay attention to these matters:
-Do not waste precious opportunities and allow the younger generation to be lost to drug addiction.
-Dwell in comfortable homes and serve as assets to human resource and mobility.
-Write and converse in various languages and be knowledgeable in order to become great leaders.
-Learn to appreciate success and remain humble so as to not project greediness.
-Combat elitism with courage and dignity. No one has the right to proclaim themselves as greater than others.
-Genuine cooperation with non-Malays in business and negotiations.
-Work hard and be unafraid of failure. Learn from it.
-Strengthen and preserve the Malay language.
-Aspire to become leaders, contributors, and the best version of a Malay.

Q: How do you view the ‘plastic cooperation’ between PAS and DAP currently, and what will happen if they win the coming election?
A: The reality is that there are enough personalities in each party to ensure the coalition continues to work. Their biggest motivation is Putrajaya, and they intend to get there first before deliberating on their differences.
The problem here is that PKR is currently seen as the weakest link. Therefore, there are figureheads within PAS and DAP who’ll claim that they, and not PKR are best equipped to lead Pakatan.
PAS president Hadi Awang must also be disappointed because he’s not been allowed to run the party his way. After all, who was it that decided to sack Hasan Ali? Was it Nik Abdul Aziz or Hadi?
I believe if Kedah MB Azizan Razak does not contest anymore, it would complete the division occurring in the state administration and expose Hadi of not being able to control his own party.
The longer elections are delayed, the more disputes will occur in the opposition coalition. This may not transfer the votes to BN-UMNO but it will definitely crush the Pakatan machinery. The selection of Saifuddin Nasution and Mustafa Ali is a strategy. Once they are missing the necessary influential figures, PKR and PAS will be less effective and expose themselves to a Kelantan-Terengganu split.
DAP on the other hand believes in a sudden attack, especially after what happened in Sarawak. They are confident but I think Najib will fight back.
Perkasa’s efforts in getting close to the Chinese community is commendable. They have to protect the Chinese, Indians and Kadazan by upholding the constitution and fighting discrimination. Unfortunately, they have been viewed as racist by the non-Malays.
UMNO has some major cleaning up to do in its own yard. There are those who dislike Umno as they are perceived as arrogant and incapable of connecting with non-Malays. The truth is, there’s also a significant number of Umno supporters who are qualified and professional in their duties.
DAP and PAS may have their squabbles but that doesnt’ mean the votes are easily transferred to Umno. They have to work for it.

Q: How do you foresee the future of UMNO and its cooperation with component parties?
A: BN component parties are working as a team. They all have to support Najib’s leadership and work hard to get votes.
The majority of the people want BN to continue to rule but they want things to change. They want stability but they also want check and balance. The Prime Minister knows this and he is committed to change but it must be done gradually. He does not want the country to become unstable because he realises the consequences but the people are impatient. They want immediate result. This is the era of instant communication. The voters can’t wait and BN have to take action. They have to change the way they work and listen to the people concerns.


Read more: Interview with Malaysia's former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin - Top News - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/top-news/interview-with-malaysia-s-former-finance-minister-tun-daim-zainuddin-1.55556#ixzz2OWZc9PnA

Anwar's personal ambition is so overriding and an obsession that he does not care that it will be at the expense of peace and stability in his country.

Tun Daim Zainuddin

THIS is final part of the interview with former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, who helped the Malaysian economy survive the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
Without mincing words, Daim discussed with New Straits Times journalists A. JALIL HAMID, RASHID YUSOF and HARIZ MOHD and photographer ZAHARI ZAKARIA the key events during the "Mahathir Years", including the events which led to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's downfall.

Question: Media reports suggested at the time of your departure from the cabinet in 1991 that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had three names in mind as the new finance minister -- Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Was this indeed the case?

Answer: Rafidah was then the minister for trade, having been appointed to the post after the Team A versus Team B split in 1987. Sanusi was minister for agriculture.
Dr Mahathir wasn't too sure about Anwar. He said, "I don't think Anwar can handle the ministry of finance" given his academic background. He was a graduate in Malay studies.
My counter argument went along this line -- "I think if you want him to be your successor you have to groom him.
"I can help him and guide him, give advice."
In the end, I managed to convince Dr Mahathir.
Anwar used to come to my house very often to seek my advice on matters related to the ministry of finance.
He would also bring me to to his house for lunch very often. His aunt cooked my favourite dishes.

Question: Given that Anwar had later named you as the "chief conspirator" leading to his sacking from the cabinet in 1998, when did things actually turn sour?

Answer: There was no fallout between us until he started accusing me of being a chief conspirator. This is an old story. No one is interested in the whys and wherefores. It is the now and the future that people are interested in.

Really, we should not waste time with Anwar. He is past his use-by date. His time had come and gone.
I also think that you should not give so much news space to him. That's what he likes. He does not like to be ignored, so ignore him I say. He should be left to be the entertainer that he is, dancing and singing at ceramahs. As I said his time is gone, like a burung punggok merindukan bulan, (a dog barking at the caravans, and the caravans have moved on).

But as you keep insisting, I will answer. The best person to speak about Anwar is Sanusi. They were in school together.

They were in Abim (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia) and in the cabinet, and Sanusi was secretary-general of Umno. Anyway, I promised to answer so I will answer.
Okay, my answer to Anwar -- I'm no Cassius. I maybe thin but I don't have the hungry look. And definitely, I'm no Brutus.

When Anwar claim- ed that I was the conspirator, he knows the truth that I played no part, no role whatsoever. I knew nothing about the case until I was told about it. I might be a busybody, but I do not interfere with people's private life. I don't want people to know about mine either. I don't want to know what people do behind closed doors. I'm not interested. People whispered to me, but I said, "Look, we are all human, we all have weaknesses."

But I understand he was under pressure, it was his political survival and he was a drowning man, clutching at whatever to keep himself afloat, plus he knew that I would never answer any allegations thrown at me. I thought I was his friend and he was in trouble, and I let it be.

I also thought that it was so farfetched that it was laughable. Anwar, for example said I took out RM2 billion cash by plane. I must be an idiot, and any way how much is RM2 billion cash? Probably a few lorries to transport!

At the end of the day, truth will always prevail. You can't hide it. If not today, one day, the truth would be told. In the case of his supporters, even if he were to do all that he is alleged to have done, right on the carpet in front of their eyes, they will not believe. To them, everything is a conspiracy.
Anwar's problem was that his image was whiter than white. When stories got around because he got this image, it's difficult for people to believe. In life, some things are too strange to be true but they are true.
As Sherlock Holmes said, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth".

There was a myth about Kennedy, too, but people did not talk about it during his lifetime. After his death, you read about him and what he did behind closed doors.

Question: There was talk back then that your motivation in ousting Anwar was that you were anxious about protecting your business interests?

Answer: That was his line, that he was this super hero fighting crime and corruption and, therefore, had to be brought down. If you know the things about him that I know, that line of his is hilarious, and the cheek of it all, to claim righteousness.

I had then retired and what business interests did I have? I had to sell all my assets before joining the government in 1984.

But later on, after I had left, when I was made chairman of the northern triangle, there was a clause in the agreement that I would be able to venture into business. I was not a member of the cabinet anyway.
I ventured overseas after my retirement. I didn't want to do my business in Malaysia. But after my banks overseas became successful I needed to have a bank locally, I bought a bank. You can check, it was very expensive, I paid higher than anybody else. At that time, the highest anybody ever paid for a bank. This was a one-branch bank. Later, I sold this bank, too, when I rejoined the government at the last financial crisis. I really should stop buying banks in Malaysia. Every time I buy one, I'm made minister of finance and have to sell them.

Immediately after my retirement, I went away to Harvard University, in particular to the Kennedy School of Government as a visiting scholar.

Anwar kept calling me in Boston. (He asked) why I stayed there and asked me to come back. He needed me to help him, but I said I was enjoying my stay. I met a lot of people.

It was at Harvard that I met Francis Seow (who once served as Singapore's solicitor-general). He was writing books. Interesting books. You should read his books. We became good friends and often exchanged views over lunch.

Then it was about the so-called "Daim Boys".

They were also very close with Anwar after I left.

Most were Malay College old boys. They were in school with Anwar.

Yahya (the late Tan Sri Yahya Ahmad) was his head boy and Halim (Tan Sri Halim Saad) was at the Malay College.

Anwar, through his accusations, repeated the lie that I wanted this contract and that contract, and that because he was in the way, I got rid of him. A lie repeated many times, unfortunately, becomes a truth.
What contract? I want to ask, which contract did I or my family secure? Show me.
Show me one single contract I got from the government.

So I have always maintained, the danger with Anwar is that Anwar is more Sukarno than anything else. All fiery speeches, completely economical with the truth and an instigator at his best.

Question: Was there a turning point, one that had caused a fall- out?

Answer: There was no particular fallout. I was his scapegoat, among many other scapegoats. I was his friend, Dr Mahathir defended him. I told him not to open the Pandora's box by making a police report but he thought he was clever.

I've told you earlier that you should not waste news space on Anwar. But you insist and I'm answering only to make the point that if you have Pakatan and him leading Pakatan, then we are heading down the road to disaster. He was tested during the Asian financial crisis and he failed. I also think that he failed not just because of his policies, but also of his motivation. Dr Mahathir, for example, was totally offended by the crisis. He could not bear to see what he had taken time to build destroyed because of the greed of speculators and financial vultures, and he wanted to make sure the country was safe again.

Question: Some commentators had pointed out that Anwar at the time of the crisis did not help by raising interest rates to such a high level?

Answer: In the case of Anwar, at that time, he was really badly advised.
Because all along we know, Anwar on his own did not know what to do.
He has to get people to advise him and that was OK so long as you get good advice.
And of course at that time he really liked (Michel) Camdessus of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and James Wolfensohn of the World Bank.
And he was also close to Robert Rubin (secretary of treasury of the United States).
All these people later came to endorse him.
But you see, different countries have different environments, different stages of development, different conditions.
It's not the same.
You look at what happened during that crisis to South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and us.
There's Singapore, China and Japan.
During that time, Anwar's stance was "follow what was advised by the IMF and World Bank".
That would be a normal reaction -- in a crisis like this, you need some big fellows to come and advise.
Because if there's any trouble, the IMF and World Bank will come and assist.
And if America backs you, you are also okay. And America has big influence over the IMF and World Bank.
In the case of South Korea, it wanted to borrow from Japan so that it would not go down.
But America refused to help. America told the Japanese not to help, so it went down and mind you, South Korea was close to the US. Don't expect the US to support us.
At that time, Robert Zoellick, who was deputy secretary of state, made it known that the doors were open for the American companies to go in to pick up companies at fire-sale prices.
This was the case with Indonesia when they came in and took almost everything they wanted.
They killed Thailand, too.
We saw what was happening. Dr Mahathir understood.
He said: "What we built... will be destroyed".
Years of growth and stability will be wiped out.
And if we are not careful, there might be riots like in Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand.
Probably worse.
So, he had to think how to stop it.

Question: Based on your articulation on the political scenario, you are troubled not by Anwar's so- called misconduct but more of his character?

Answer: I'm worried that he has not got the depth on economics.
If he again becomes the finance minister or prime minister, his inclination is to take the American line.
America is in crisis, Europe is in crisis.
He likes to identify with Europe, America and Australia.
He tried to get Australia to support him, to condemn and say our election will not be fair, etc.
He talks of Arab Spring, but he said the Arab Spring here is not a revolution but through the ballot box.
He had been telling the world that he will win this election.
If PR were to lose, it would be because of unfair practices and mobs could then go to the streets to protest. He promised to form the government in September 2008. Everybody got jittery and many believed him. That is his style. He is all talk and promises. Now, he tells the world he will win.
But the government isn't even responding. There has never been riggings in elections here. Last election, they formed five state governments.
Otherwise, how did the opposition win so many seats if the government rigged elections?
No election is perfect in this world.
But he has started this, and the government must respond.
Anwar is conditioning the minds of the people here and telling the world PR will win but he knows he cannot win.
As I said earlier, I question his (and also Pakatan's) motivation. His personal ambition is so overriding and an obsession that he does not care that it will be at the expense of peace and stability in his country.
Can you imagine the scenario if Pakatan does not get to Putrajaya? He will go on to claim that it is rigged and then bring on the Arab Spring here. Instigate the people that under Barisan Nasional, their votes were stolen and they have to go out to the streets to reclaim their votes.
This will cause havoc and he won't care because his ambition overrides all other considerations. And Pakatan doesn't care, too, because they are on the same ride.


Read more: Don't waste time on Anwar, says Daim - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/don-t-waste-time-on-anwar-says-daim-1.241340#ixzz2OWWt8aNR

The facts of Sabah's status by Bunn Nagara

Bunn Nagara

Besides weapons and tactics, Sabah’s defence requires sound knowledge of the pertinent facts and issues.

THE Lahad Datu siege has, over the past six weeks, exposed the lack of readily available information on the incident and its history.

The problem was further compounded by confusion and misunderstanding spread by ignorant or mischievous pundits online.

Carefully sifting through the facts of history would help. Unfortunately, few if any texts offer a reliable and complete account of Sabah’s past and present status along with the claims made upon it.

One basic fact is that the Philippines, both as the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 and as today’s fully independent Republic of the Philippines from 1946, never had a claim of its own on Sabah, the former North Borneo.

When Sultan Jamalul Kiram II died in 1936 without a successor, both the US military administration and President Manuel Quezon of the Commonwealth of the Philippines declared the end of the Sultanate. The British government then annexed North Borneo 10 years later.

Although descendants of the Kiram family still tried to claim their royal lineage, titles, prerogative and territory, those claims after 1936 had always been dubious. They had no international recognition or status, particularly since Sabah had long ceased to be administered as a sultanate.

At that point, various individuals claimed to be the legitimate heir to the sultanate, including one “recognised” by the occupying Japanese forces during the Pacific War.

The inconsistency of the Philippine government made things messier: President Marcos appointed one such candidate sultan, then declared the end of the sultanate with the death of another in 1986.

Meanwhile, each candidate bore children to produce even more claimants to the throne. None of them, including Lahad Datu siege mastermind Jamalul Kiram III, is recognised as Sulu Sultan by the Philippines.

Jamalul Kiram III is also not directly related to Jamalul Kiram II. Thus, even the name itself is more assigned or assumed, like a presumed title, rather than the individual’s personal name.

Another fundamental fact is that since the Sulu Sultanate no longer exists, no sovereignty claim can be valid either. Any claims filed can only be made on a personal basis as private individuals.

Yet in 1962, then “Sultan” Esmail E. Kiram I “granted” the Philippine government the power of attorney to reclaim Sabah. This led to a protracted (intermittent) claim by Manila through the 1960s and 1970s, although the Philippines had reportedly started easing off on the claim from 1968.

Claimants argue that North Borneo had only been rented out to the British North Borneo Chartered Company in 1878 and never ceded. Endless debates ensued over the actual words “rent”, “lease” and “cede” or “cession” to prove Sabah’s status one way or another.

Many Philippine commentators, however, see little distinction between these terms, whatever their position on the claim. The Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines itself refers to the 1878 agreement and its 1903 amendment as being based on a cession.

Former Philippine Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban distinguishes between sovereignty and ownership claims by arguing that only recognised states can exercise sovereignty, while private individuals (like the Kiram clan) may claim ownership. It follows that rent, from ownership, is being claimed rather than cession money deriving from sovereignty.

However, all these claims on Sabah are or have been based on the former sultan’s authority arising from the sovereignty of the sultanate that was. Private property claims cannot derive directly and automatically from sovereign claims upon the expiry of sovereignty.

Besides, private property claims require proof by way of a land title, which the Kirams do not have. Furthermore, a sovereign nation like the Philippines may not be empowered to pursue the private property claims of some citizens over territory already administered by and incorporated into another sovereign nation.

The US had acquired California from Mexico through annexation of the territory. Would Mexico now pursue the property claims of displaced Mexican landowners in Washington, and how would the US government respond should such claims arise?

Filipino claimants also cite the 1878 agreement’s condition that North Borneo may not thereafter be passed to another country. That is selective reading, since the paragraph continues with the proviso that the territory may be included in another country with the consent of the British government.

Since Britain was instrumental to Sabah’s inclusion in Malaysia, it had provided more than just procedural consent. And despite the arguments of some Filipino nationalists, Malaysia’s case over Sabah in international institutions is watertight.

Prior to the 2002 judgment on the status of Sipadan and Ligitan islands by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Philippines tried to intervene in respect of its pending claim to adjoining Sabah. The ICJ rebuffed that intervention by observing that the court does not entertain historical claims.

The Philippines would do well to heed that finding and make the best of it. Should it pursue the Sulu claim on Sabah, which is entirely a historical claim, it would only energise China’s claim to the disputed Spratly Islands, which is also based on historical antecedents.

Philippine Cabinet Secretary Jose Almendras has reportedly quipped that Manila would pursue the Sabah claim in international courts after a review, since time and money had already been spent on studying the case. However, Manila understandably appears to be concerned over the issue because an election is due in May, and a review is never a guarantee of legal action.

Malaysia should not be too eager to prove its case at the ICJ, however favourable a judgment is likely to be. Doing so could open up a vexatious Pandora’s Box of endless litigation.

There are about a dozen claimants to the Sulu “throne”, and each may wish to try his luck in turn. The objective may not even be to “win” Sabah, but just to gain publicity and hopes of getting higher annual payments or compensation.

Any kind of appeasement or compromise by Malaysia may encourage more of such problems. This country’s peace, security and stability cannot be at the mercy of these random groups and individuals.

The other question for Malaysia is whether to continue with annual payments to the Sulu sultan’s descendants. Instead of grateful acknowledgement, claimants are using the payments as “proof” that Sabah should not be part of Malaysia.

Payments made since 1963 need not prove anything about Sabah’s status. Neither do they obligate Malaysia to make continued payments, because the sultanate no longer exists.

And since the Kirams as supposedly representing the defunct sultanate have unilaterally violated the terms of the 1878 agreement, Malaysia is fully entitled to stop the payments. The bloodshed in Lahad Datu is as good an occasion as any to terminate the payments

Wednesday 20 March 2013

GTP ETP Annual Report


Oleh : DATO' SRI MOHD NAJIB BIN TUN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK
PERDANA MENTERI MALAYSIA
Tempat : ANGKASAPURI, KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh : 19/03/2013
Tajuk : GTP/ETP ANNUAL REPORT
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, Salam Sejahtera dan Salam 1Malaysia

Rakyat Malaysia yang dikasihi,

Pada malam ini saya berdiri di hadapan tuan-tuan dan puan-puan bagi pihak diri saya selaku ketua kerajaan dan bagi pihak rakan-rakan dalam Jemaah Menteri bagi membentangkan hasil perkembangan prakarsa Program Transformasi Kerajaan atau GTP dan Program Transformasi Ekonomi atau ETP.

Kedua-dua prakarsa bermula masing-masing pada tahun 2010 dan 2011 adalah bersama-sama dengan Program Transformasi Politik atau PTP dan Program Transformasi Sosial atau PTS. Ia membentuk Dasar Transformasi Nasional bagi memacu Malaysia ke arah pencapaian wawasan kebangsaan, menjadi sebuah negara maju berpendapatan tinggi, menjelang tahun dua ribu dua puluh.

Alhamdullilah, suka saya melaporkan kepada rakyat Malaysia bahawa dengan berkat kerjasama dan usaha gigih semua pihak sama ada rakyat terbanyak, pihak swasta, penjawat awam mahupun anggota pentadbiran, sebahagian besar matlamat yang telah dirancang berjaya dicapai. Kesannya, taraf dan kualiti hidup rakyat semakin baik, ekonomi negara semakin makmur manakala keadaan kewangan kerajaan terus bugar.

Perancangan dan pelaksanaan ETP dan GTP bukan sahaja membuktikan iltizam kerajaan terhadap falsafah pemandu negara 1Malaysia, Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan, tetapi ia juga merupakan eksperimen paling berani yang pernah dilaksanakan oleh mana-mana kerajaan di dunia dalam mengamalkan prinsip ketelusan dan kepertanggungjawaban.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

Rakyat terbanyak serta semua pihak yang berkepentingan boleh, melalui proses perundingan dibuat menyumbang melalui makmal-makmal yang diadakan dalam proses pembentukan GTP dan ETP. Mereka juga mampu menilai pencapaian kedua-dua prakarsa ini melalui laporan tahunan dan laporan berkala yang dikeluarkan dari semasa ke semasa.

Mungkin ada yang bertanya, bagaimana rojak kependekan ini mampu menyentuh kehidupan kita? GTP, ETP, NKRA, NKEA, EPP? Apa hubungkaitnya dengan tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekelian? Jawapannya ialah, semuanya dirangka serta digubal bagi meningkatkan kesejahteraan seluruh rakyat Malaysia secara terancang.

Sesungguhnya lagi, semua prakarsa ini, tidak lain dan tidak bukan, ialah langkah kerajaan untuk membolehkan setiap rakyat Malaysia mendapat akses kepada yang terbaik dalam kehidupan. Pekerjaan dengan pendapatan yang setimpal di mana, semakin tinggi kemahiran dan kepakaran yang dimiliki, semakin tinggi pula ganjarannya.

Pendidikan yang bermutu bermula dari pra sekolah lagi, untuk mengoptimakan potensi diri, perkhidmatan kesihatan yang terbaik, prasarana awam yang mencukupi dan pemilikan rumah yang selesa serta berkemampuan untuk berlindung dan membesarkan anak-anak.

Jelasnya, kerajaan ini ialah kerajaan yang bertanggungjawab. Kerajaan ini ialah kerajaan yang menepati janji. Kerajaan ini ialah kerajaan yang meletakkan maslahah serta kesejahteraan rakyat di atas segala-galanya. Sebab itulah sebelum berjanji kepada rakyat, kita telah mengkaji, pertamanya, adakah janji yang diberikan kepada rakyat itu akan mendatangkan faedah dan tidak memudaratkan, sama ada untuk jangka pendek, sederhana atau panjang. Keduanya, adakah janji yang dibuat tersebut mampu untuk kita tunaikan? Bukannya janji sekadar janji.
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

Dalam sebuah negara yang mengamalkan demokrasi, rakyat teramailah yang menentukan parti mana yang dipercayai untuk membentuk sebuah kerajaan. Realitinya, bukan semua kerajaan sama berkemampuan. Ya, betul, jangkaan oleh rakyat kepada setiap kerajaan sama, namun, prestasi setiap kerajaan adalah berbeza. Pastinya, ada kerajaan yang berkesan dan ada kerajaan yang lemah serta gagal menunaikan amanah yang diberi.

Sebab itulah ada negara yang berjaya meningkatkan taraf daripada status mundur, kepada status membangun dan kemudiannya maju. Ada negara pula, tidak berubah statusnya, terus terperangkap sama ada dalam kemunduran atau membangun. Apa yang lebih teruk, ada juga negara bersifat regresif hingga jatuh tarafnya daripada negara membangun menjadi negara mundur.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

Kita amat bersyukur bahawa Malaysia hari ini ialah manifestasi sebuah negara yang berjaya. Hasil perancangan teliti dan rapi serta pelaksanaan dasar-dasar pembangunan berkesan, Malaysia telah berubah daripada status negara pertanian berpendapatan rendah kepada sebuah negara perindustrian moden berpendapatan sederhana tinggi.

Ternyata, kita ialah bukti dan contoh sebuah negara yang amat progresif. Semenjak kemerdekaan dan pada dekad-dekad awal, kerajaan telah menjadikan agenda membasmi kemiskinan, reformasi tanah, keadilan sosial, meningkatkan akses kepada setiap tahap pendidikan, perkhidmatan kesihatan untuk semua dan penjanaan kekayaan nasional sebagai agenda negara.  

Dalam aspek ini, hasil kejayaan negara boleh disaksikan daripada peningkatan Pendapatan Negara Kasar atau PNK per kapita daripada 257 dolar Amerika pada tahun 1957 kepada 9970 dolar Amerika pada tahun 2012. Ini merupakan peningkatan hampir 4000 peratus dalam tempoh lebih lima dekad.

Peningkatan taraf hidup ini diperjelaskan lagi melalui angka-angka, hasil daripada Penyiasatan Pendapatan Isi Rumah. PPIR 2012 menunjukkan bahawa, isi rumah bulanan purata Malaysia meningkat daripada 4,025 ringgit pada tahun 2009 kepada 5,000 ringgit pada tahun 2012. Ini adalah peningkatan lebih daripada 1,200 peratus, sejak Penyiasatan Pendapatan Isi Rumah dimulakan pada tahun 1974.

Manakala, kadar kemiskinan pula terus menurun daripada lebih enam puluh peratus pada awal kemerdekaan kepada 1.7 peratus pada tahun 2012. Jurang pendapatan di kalangan rakyat Malaysia juga bertambah baik dengan kadar Pekali Gini menurun kepada 0.431 pada tahun 2012. Kadar inflasi negara juga kekal berada di paras yang rendah iaitu 1.2 peratus pada Disember 2012. Kadar ini adalah antara yang terendah di rantau ini.

Rakyat Malaysia yang dikasihi sekalian,

Setelah tiga tahun kerajaan memulakan inisiatif GTP, maka pada kesempatan ini saya ingin melaporkan pencapaian-pencapaian yang berjaya dizahirkan di bawah tujuh bidang-bidang keberhasilan utama seperti berikut:

Pertama: NKRA Menangani Kos Sara Hidup Rakyat yang diperkenalkan, telah berjaya membawa manfaat kepada kehidupan rakyat yang berpendapatan rendah. Di bawah NKRA ini, Kerajaan telah mengambil beberapa inisiatif antaranya:-

Pertama, dalam rangka mempastikan subsidi benar-benar memanfaatkan kumpulan sasar, Kerajaan telah mengambil keputusan untuk melanjutkan program Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia dan memperluas lagi skop program ini kepada individu bujang. Ini melibatkan peruntukan sejumlah lebih 2.34 bilion ringgit dan memanfaatkan lebih 6 juta rakyat Malaysia.

Pemberian Bantuan Persekolahan 100 ringgit atau Baucer Sekolah 1Malaysia kepada murid-murid sekolah rendah dan menengah. Sejumlah 524 juta ringgit telah diperuntukkan dan usaha ini memberi manfaat kepada lebih 5.24 juta murid.

Bagi pelajar-pelajar yang sedang mengikuti pengajian di peringkat tinggi di universiti serta kolej pula pemberian 250 ringgit sebagai Baucer Buku 1Malaysia memanfaatkan seramai lebih 390,000 pelajar dengan peruntukkan lebih 97.5 juta ringgit.

Sebagai bukti keprihatinan terhadap permasalahan rakyat dalam menanggung kos kehidupan seharian yang semakin meningkat, Kerajaan telah memperuntukkan sebanyak 37.8 bilion ringgit bagi membiayai pelbagai bentuk pemberian di mana sebanyak 22.3 bilion ringgit adalah untuk Subsidi, 873.5 juta ringgit untuk insentif dan 14.6 bilion ringgit bagi bantuan.
 
Di samping itu, melalui inisiatif Jenama 1Malaysia, rakyat kini mempunyai alternatif dalam mendapatkan barangan keperluan harian dan perkhidmatan dengan kos yang secara puratanya 20 hingga 40 peratus lebih rendah daripada harga pasaran. Melalui inisiatif ini, Kerajaan telah memperluaskan lagi pembukaan Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia menjadi 85 buah semuanya. Sejumlah 168 Klinik 1Malaysia pula sedang memberi rawatan kepada lebih enam juta rakyat Malaysia dengan kos hanya satu ringgit.

Selain itu, kita juga sedang melaksanakan inisiatif-inisiatif Kedai Buku 1Malaysia, Kedai Kain 1Malaysia, Projek Perumahan 1Malaysia atau PR1MA, Bantuan Tayar 1Malaysia, Kebajikan Rakyat 1Malaysia atau KAR1SMA serta Menu Rakyat 1Malaysia. Saudara dan saudari, sesungguhnya dan sememangnya segala ikhtiar ini dan semua yang dilakukan ini demi kepentingan serta kesejahteraan segenap rakyat Malaysia tercinta.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

NKRA kedua, Mempertingkatkan Taraf Kehidupan Isi Rumah Berpendapatan Rendah.

Sungguhpun Kerajaan telah berjaya mengurangkan kadar kemiskinan kepada 1.7 peratus dan meletakkan kemiskinan tegar dalam lipatan sejarah, namun usaha untuk meningkatkan taraf hidup mereka yang berpendapatan rendah bukan sahaja akan diteruskan, malah, akan ditingkatkan lagi.

Untuk itu, melalui program Akhiri Zaman Miskin atau 1AZAM seramai 106,967 telah berjaya didaftarkan di bawah program-program Azam Kerja, Azam Niaga, Azam Khidmat dan Azam Tani. Ribuan rakyat telah menerima pembiayaan mikro melalui Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, TEKUN Nasional dan Yayasan Usaha Maju.

Di bawah program e-Kasih pula, sebanyak 89 peratus atau lebih 100,000 mereka yang berdaftar telah berjaya dikeluarkan daripada belenggu kemiskinan dalam tempoh hanya 3 tahun.
 
Dalam rangka memastikan isi rumah berpendapatan rendah mendapat akses kepada kediaman pula, pelbagai inisiatif sedang dan telah dilaksanakan oleh beberapa agensi kerajaan antaranya Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur dan Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad. Bagi usaha ini, kerajaan telah menawarkan, lebih 100,000 unit kediaman mampu milik.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

NKRA Ketiga, Mempertingkatkan Infrastruktur Asas Luar Bandar

Kerajaan akan terus mempastikan rakyat Malaysia yang tinggal di kawasan luar bandar tidak terpisah daripada arus perdana pembangunan. Komitmen kerajaan ini telah dizahirkan melalui program infrastruktur luar bandar. Di bawah inisiatif ini, lebih 3,300 kilometer jalan raya telah dibina, lebih 1.4 juta isi rumah dibekalkan air bersih dan lebih 470 ribu isi rumah mendapat akses elektrik yang terjamin.
 
Di samping itu, Kerajaan juga telah membina dan membaik pulih 53 ribu rumah bagi penduduk miskin luar bandar. Ini melibatkan lebih 266 ribu isi rumah atau hampir sejuta orang. Sesungguhnya, kesemua inisiatif di bawah NKRA ini telah menambah baik kesejahteraan hidup hampir 4 juta rakyat Malaysia yang tinggal di luar bandar.

Rakyat Malaysia dikasihi sekalian.

NKRA Keempat, Mempertingkatkan Pencapaian Pelajar

Menyedari bahawa anak-anak adalah pewaris dan masa hadapan negara, Kerajaan beriltizam untuk mempastikan bahawa setiap anak Malaysia akan mendapat permulaan pemelajaran seawalnya dalam hidup mereka. Melalui usaha-usaha yang telah dilaksanakan di bawah NKRA Mempertingkat Pencapaian Pelajar, enrolmen prasekolah telah berjaya ditingkatkan jumlahnya kepada hampir 770 ribu pada 2012 atau 80 peratus kohort umur berkenaan. Ini merupakan satu peningkatan jika dibandingkan dengan angka pada tahun 2009, di mana hanya, 67 peratus kohort umur tersebut berpeluang mendapat pendidikan prasekolah.
 
Pada tahun 2012, kita juga telah berjaya mengeluarkan 164 atau lebih 40 peratus sekolah-sekolah daripada kumpulan berprestasi rendah atau apa yang dikelaskan sebagai jaluran 6 dan 7 kepada jaluran yang lebih baik yakni jaluran 1 hingga 5.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

NKRA Kelima, Mempertingkatkan Pengangkutan Awam Bandar

Kerajaan kini sedang giat untuk menambah baik pengangkutan awam bandar. Rakyat boleh melihat bukti usaha ini melalui kerja-kerja pembinaan yang sedang dilaksanakan khususnya projek penyambungan LRT dan MRT. Kerajaan berharap rakyat dapat bersabar sedikit terhadap kesulitan dan kesesakan lalu lintas yang sedang dialami. Ini adalah fenomena yang sementara. InsyaAllah, apabila semua projek ini siap, rakyat Malaysia kelak akan menikmati pengangkutan awam yang cekap dan antara yang terbaik di rantau ini.
 
Antara inisiatif yang telah pun dilaksanakan ialah penambahan tren enam gerabak bagi perkhidmatan tren Komuter KTM, perkhidmatan bas GoKL yang menawarkan perjalanan percuma serta pelaksanaan Sistem Maklumat Penumpang agar pengguna mempunyai gambaran yang lebih baik tentang masa menunggu sebelum ketibaan bas.

Menjejaki masa depan pula, rakyat boleh menjangkakan sistem keretapi laju yang akan menghubungkan Kuala Lumpur dan Singapura dalam masa 90 minit, jajaran MRT fasa kedua, landasan keretapi elektrik berkembar Ipoh - Padang Besar dan pembinaan Lebuhraya Pantai Barat. Pada analisis akhirnya, ini semua akan meningkatkan kualiti pengangkutan awam bandar seterusnya gaya hidup rakyat.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

NKRA Keenam, merujuk inisiatif Membanteras Rasuah

Rasuah mampu menghancurkan negara dan melemahkan integriti institusi nasional serta menjadi penghalang besar kepada wawasan negara. Menyedari hakikat ini, kerajaan tegas memulakan perang terhadap rasuah semenjak tahun 1967 apabila tertubuhnya Badan Pencegah Rasuah dan kini diperkukuhkan lagi dengan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia atau SPRM.

Hari ini, Malaysia merupakan satu-satunya negara yang menjadikan usaha membanteras rasuah sebagai Penunjuk Prestasi Utama atau KPI negara.

Inisiatif NKRA Membanteras Rasuah telah menunjukkan keberkesanan apabila kedudukan Indeks Persepsi Rasuah oleh Transparency International  negara telah bertambah baik enam anak tangga kepada kedudukan 54 pada tahun 2012 dan berada pada kedudukan ketiga dalam kalangan negara ASEAN.

Melalui penubuhan 14 Mahkamah Sesyen Khas dalam tempoh tiga tahun yang lalu, lebih 400 kes rasuah telah dibicarakan dan daripada itu hampir 260 kes telah berjaya diselesaikan pada akhir tahun 2012.

Selanjutnya, dalam usaha untuk meningkatkan ketelusan dan integriti proses pilihanraya, saya selaku Pengerusi Barisan Nasional telah menandatangani Ikrar Integriti Pilihanraya bagi memastikan PRU-13 bebas dan telus. Untuk itu, saya menyeru kepada semua parti politik supaya “walk the talk” dan mempunyai keberanian moral untuk menandatangani ikrar yang sama.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

NKRA Ketujuh, ialah Mengurangkan Jenayah

Bagi mempastikan rakyat hidup dalam keadaan aman dan sejahtera, Kerajaan telah melaksanakan prakarsa membanteras jenayah. Saya ingin melaporkan bahawa kita telah berjaya mengurangkan kadar jenayah sehingga 27 peratus dalam tempoh tiga tahun. Kerajaan akan mempastikan Polis DiRaja Malaysia akan ditingkat upaya dan distruktur sesuai dengan keperluan memerangi jenayah moden.

Pasukan polis akan ditransformasi daripada hanya sebuah pasukan keselamatan kepada sebuah perkhidmatan kepolisan yang berorientasikan masyarakat. Jelasnya, perkhidmatan polis tidak akan berjaya tanpa sokongan rakyat.

Maka, saya ingin menggesa seluruh rakyat untuk berganding bahu dengan pihak polis dan pihak berkuasa  yang berkenaan kerana keselamatan dan keamanan negara merupakan tanggungjawab bersama.
 
Rakyat Malaysia yang dikasihi sekalian,

Seperti mana yang saya sebutkan pada tahun lepas, hubungkait antara Model Baru Ekonomi, Prakarsa Pembaharuan Strategik, Program Transformasi Ekonomi, 12 NKEA dan 152 EPP bolehlah diumpamakan dalam analogi berikut:

Model Baru Ekonomi dan Prakarsa Pembaharuan Strategik bolehlah diibaratkan sebagai lebuhraya. Manakala ETP merupakan kenderaan yang akan menggunakan lebuhraya membawa kita ke destinasi akhir, iaitu sebuah negara maju berpendapatan tinggi. 12 NKEA di bawah ETP ialah bahagian-bahagian enjin kepada kenderaan tersebut.

Manakala EPP ialah bahan api atau “fuel” yang akan menggerakkan kenderaan ini. Untuk Malaysia menjadi sebuah negara maju, kesemua komponen termasuk kenderaan, enjin, bahan api dan lebuhraya hendaklah berada dalam keadaan yang terbaik.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

Dari segi pencapaian Program Transformasi Ekonomi pula, saya berbesar hati dan berasa bangga menyaksikan sektor swasta memainkan peranan yang penting, sejajar dengan aspirasi dan harapan kita.

Sejak pelancaran ETP pada lewat tahun 2010, kadar pertumbuhan pelaburan swasta telah berkembang lebih tiga kali ganda, mencatat peningkatan sebanyak 22% pada tahun 2012. Selari dengan matlamat ETP di mana sektor swasta memainkan peranan utama sebagai pemacu ekonomi negara, nisbah pertumbuhan pelaburan swasta terus mengalami peningkatan konsisten. Jika pada tahun 2009  jumlah pelaburan swasta hanya merangkumi 52 peratus, angka ini telah meningkat kepada 58 peratus pada tahun 2012.

Ini adalah bukti keyakinan sektor swasta yang semakin meningkat terhadap inisiatif transformasi nasional. Angka menunjukkan, pada tahun 2012, pelaburan swasta telah mengatasi sasaran dengan mencapai jumlah 139.5 bilion ringgit, dipacu oleh perbelanjaan modal yang tinggi dalam sektor pengilangan, perkhidmatan dan perlombongan.

Pelaburan swasta penting kerana ia mempengaruhi kadar pertumbuhan ekonomi negara. Kerancakkan pelaburan swasta yang lebih besar berkadar langsung dengan kadar pertumbuhan ekonomi negara yang lebih tinggi. Pertumbuhan akan menjana kekayaan nasional. Kekayaan yang terhasil ini akan membolehkan kerajaan menjayakan lebih banyak inisiatif yang memanfaatkan rakyat.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

Di antara pencapaian-pencapaian Bidang Ekonomi Utama Negara atau NKEA adalah:

Pertama, bagi sektor pelancongan, bagi tahun 2011 dan 2012, jumlah pelancong yang melawat Malaysia ialah hampir 50 juta orang dengan jumlah PNK bernilai hampir 100 bilion ringgit.

Kedua, dalam pembangunan Greater Kuala Lumpur, setakat 31 Disember 2012, projek My Rapid Transit atau MRT telah menawarkan  48 pakej kontrak berjumlah 19.8 bilion ringgit dan 45 peratus atau 8.9 bilion ringgit daripada jumlah keseluruhan telah diberi  kepada kontraktor Bumiputera.
 
Ketiga, bagi sektor minyak dan gas, projek RAPID di Pengerang bakal mewujudkan peluang pekerjaan bernilai tinggi kepada 4,000 orang dan kerja-kerja pembinaan kepada 20,000 orang.

Keempat, dalam sektor minyak sawit pula, kita telah berjaya menanam semula seluas kira-kira 113,000 hektar kelapa sawit.

Kelima, bagi sektor kandungan dan infrastruktur komunikasi dan industri kreatif, sebanyak 547 juta ringgit, keluaran kreatif telah dieksport dan 157 ribu jam kandungan kreatif telah terhasil. Di antaranya adalah pembikinan filem bertajuk Life of Pi, telah berjaya meraih 4 kemenangan daripada 11 pencalonan  di Academy Awards baru-baru ini yang melibatkan kepakaran kreatif anak tempatan.

Keenam, untuk tempoh 2011 dan 2012, seramai 1,087 pemilik kedai runcit telah mendapat manfaat daripada menyertai program Transformasi Kedai Runcit atau TUKAR. Kedai-kedai yang menyertai program ini telah menyaksikan dalam tempoh 6 hingga 12 bulan selepas pelaksanaannya, purata jualan meningkat sebanyak 30 peratus.

Di atas angka-angka yang meningkat ini adalah keyakinan positif oleh pelabur-pelabur swasta kepada ekonomi negara kita. Ia diterjemahkan di dalam bentuk penciptaan peluang-peluang pekerjaan bernilai tinggi, peluang-peluang perniagaan kepada usahawan serta projek-projek komersial yang mampu memberi limpahan faedah kepada rakyat amnya.

Hasilnya, Pendapatan Negara Kasar per kapita negara telah menunjukkan peningkatan yang memberangsangkan. Jika kita imbau, sebelum inisiatif ETP bermula, PNK per kapita pada tahun 2009 ialah 6,700 dolar Amerika. Pada tahun 2012, angka ini telah meningkat sebanyak 49 peratus kepada 9,970 dolar Amerika. Trend ini akan menyaksikan Malaysia mencapai status sebuah negara berpendapatan tinggi mengikut takrifan Bank Dunia lebih awal daripada yang dijangkakan.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian,

Kejayaan meningkatkan taraf hidup ini perlu dilihat dari konteks bahawa pada tahun 1957 apabila negara mencapai kemerdekaan, PNK per kapita negara hanya 257 Dolar Amerika. PNK ialah ukuran utama yang digunakan di peringkat global bagi mengukur kemajuan atau kemunduran taraf hidup rakyat sesebuah negara.

Kadar PNK yang tinggi, berkadar langsung dengan taraf hidup yang juga tinggi. Begitu juga dengan PNK yang rendah. Selain daripada PNK, mekanisma lain yang digunakan untuk menilai taraf hidup rakyat sesebuah negara ialah Per Capita Purchasing Power Parity atau Pendapatan Per Kapita Berasaskan Kuasa Beli. Waima, mengikut kaedah ini pun, kuasa beli rakyat Malaysia adalah hampir dua kali ganda pendapatan per kapita yang ada.

Kesan langsung daripada peningkatan angka-angka ini boleh dilihat dan dirasai melalui perubahan gaya hidup rakyat. Sebagai contoh, kemampuan rakyat teramai untuk pergi melancong, mengerjakan umrah, memiliki lebih daripada satu kenderaan dan telefon pintar, pelaburan di dalam unit amanah dan hartanah serta pelbagai lagi.

Sehubungan ini juga, sehingga 31 Disember 2012, 149 projek telah diumumkan di bawah ETP sejak tahun 2010, dengan jumlah terkumpul sebanyak 211.34 bilion ringgit dalam pelaburan yang telah dimeterai. Hasil pencapaian ini, sumbangan PNK pada tahun 2020 dijangka mencecah 135.64 bilion ringgit dan sejumlah lebih 400 ribu pekerjaan dijangka dapat diwujudkan.
 
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian,

Atas dasar inilah, maka Kerajaan telah mengenalpasti enam Prakarsa Pembaharuan Strategik untuk memangkin daya saing negara. Dalam bidang Modal Insan, Piawaian Antarabangsa dan Liberalisasi, mahupun dalam usaha merapatkan jurang, khususnya dari segi penglibatan Bumiputera dalam ekonomi. Kerajaan menyasarkan agar rakyat Malaysia seluruhnya menjiwai kepentingan daya saing dalam usaha memartabatkan negara.

Prakarsa Pembaharuan Strategik berkaitan Persaingan, Standard dan Liberalisasi, bertujuan membangunkan persekitaran perniagaan yang cekap dan berdaya saing di Malaysia. Antara pencapaian penting SRI pada tahun 2012 ialah penguatkuasaan Akta Persaingan 2010 dan kes pertamanya telah pun diselesaikan.

Manakala liberalisasi 17 subsektor telah berjaya dilaksanakan dan susulan daripada itu, subsektor ke-18, iaitu subsektor ukur bahan bakal diliberalisasikan pada tahun 2013 dan beberapa syarikat pelaburan berkaitan Kerajaan telah diapung dan dijual pada tahun 2012 bagi mengurangkan peranan Kerajaan dalam perniagaan. Mustahaknya, kesemua inisiatif ini akan membuka peluang dan mempermudahkan urusan perniagaan.
Rakyat yang dikasihi sekalian,

Kita berasa syukur kerana Malaysia terus mengukuhkan pelbagai tangga kedudukan di peringkat antarabangsa. Antara pengiktirafan yang telah diterima daripada institusi bertaraf dunia adalah seperti berikut:

Pertama, mengikut World Bank Ease of Doing Business Report 2013, secara keseluruhannya Malaysia merupakan negara ke-12 paling mesra perniagaan di dunia. Menurut laporan yang sama juga, Malaysia menduduki tangga pertama dari segi akses kepada kemudahan kredit.

Kedua, menurut Institute of Management Development  di dalam laporan World Competitiveness Yearbook 2012/2013, Malaysia adalah negara ke-14 paling berdaya saing di dunia. Kedua-dua agensi tersebut juga meletakkan Malaysia di tangga keempat di dunia yang paling melindungi pelabur


Perunding pengurusan global AT Kearney mengeluarkan beberapa indeks yang menunjukkan pencapaian  Malaysia sebagai negara ke-10 bagi Destinasi Menarik Pelaburan Langsung Asing dalam Indeks Keyakinan Pelaburan Langsung asing 2012. Malaysia turut diiktiraf sebagai negara ketiga di dunia bagi Lokasi Menarik bagi Destinasi Penyumberan Luar 2011 selepas India dan China.
Globe Shopper Index oleh Economist Intelligence Unit menunjukkan Kuala Lumpur sebagai pusat bandar membeli-belah kedua terbaik di Asia Pasifik.

International Living Magazine melaporkan Malaysia sebagai negara Ketiga terbaik untuk persaraan bagi tahun 2013.

Manakala, dalam pasaran modal pula, indeks KLCI Bursa Malaysia mencatat angka tertinggi iaitu 1,688 mata pada 31 Disember 2012. Ia telah menyaksikan kenaikan “market capitalisation” daripada 999 bilion ringgit pada Disember 2009 kepada 1.47 trilion ringgit atau peningkatan sebanyak 47 peratus. Ini bererti, sebanyak 466 bilion ringgit kekayaan telah berjaya dijana sejak semua inisiatif transformasi dimulakan. Sebagai peneraju kewangan Islam di dunia dan sebagai pemacu utama sukuk global pula, Malaysia juga telah menerbitkan sukuk yang bernilai 97.1 bilion dolar Amerika pada tahun 2012.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

Sesungguhnya, pengiktirafan-pengiktirafan global kepada Malaysia ini adalah satu testimoni kejayaan kepada prakarsa-prakarsa GTP dan ETP sejak ia dilaksanakan. Ia juga adalah testimoni bahawa kita berada di landasan yang betul. Sehubungan itu, saya bagi pihak kerajaan ingin merakamkan ucapan terima kasih kepada semua penjawat awam, pihak swasta dan rakyat Malaysia sekalian yang telah bertungkus-lumus menjayakan agenda besar transformasi untuk semua ini.  

Rakyat Malaysia yang dikasihi,

Alhamdullilah ceritera Malaysia ialah cerita kejayaan. Ia cerita harapan yang mengatasi nujum kemusnahan. Namun kejayaan ini tidak mungkin tercipta tanpa gebar keselamatan serta kestabilan yang dihasilkan oleh Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, Polis Diraja Malaysia dan lain-lain agensi keselamatan negara.

Insiden kaganasan di Lahad Datu menjadi semboyan peringatan bahawa kita sekali-kali tidak mampu  mengambil mudah soal keselamatan. Keamanan dan kestabilan yang berpanjangan tidak harus menjadi sebab  ketumpulan tahap kita berwaspada.

Tragedi ini telahpun mengorbankan nyawa sepuluh orang anggota pasukan keselamatan negara. Lapan orang daripada pasukan Polis DiRaja Malaysia dan mutakhir dua anggota tentera yakni Koperal Ahmad Hurairah Ismail yang berasal dari Pasir Mas dan Koperal Ahmad Farhan Ruslan dari Kota Bharu.

Kita menginsafi bahawa hasil pengorbanan pahlawan-pahlawan negara ini sepertimana pada era darurat dan insurgensi telah memungkinkan kemajuan dan kemakmuran kita nikmati hingga hari ini. Pengorbanan mereka bukan sia-sia, pengorbanan mereka bukan kecil, pengorbanan mereka bukan untuk diperlekehkan.

Oleh yang demikian, kepada pihak-pihak yang cuba untuk memperkecilkan sumbangan anggota keselamatan ini, saya ingin mengingatkan kepada mereka, belajarlah mengenang budi. Sewajarnya kita semua berterima kasih di atas jasa dan bakti mereka yang telah berjuang demi tanahair tercinta ini. Kenanglah ibu bapa yang meniti hari tua tanpa mereka lagi disisi, kenangilah isteri-isteri yang menjadi balu serta anak-anak yang kehilangan belai manja bapanya. Kepada mereka kita berjanji bahawa negara ini akan sentiasa memuliakan bakti serta pengorbanan tersebut.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

Di sini juga saya ingin menegaskan bahawa negeri Sabah selama-lamanya merupakan sebahagian dari Persekutuan Malaysia. Rakyat Sabah ialah warganegara Malaysia. Untuk itu kita akan tetap mempertahankan kemerdekaan, kedaulatan serta keutuhan wilayah Malaysia daripada sebarang pencerobohan. Kita tidak akan membenarkan barang seinci pun bumi Malaysia dirampas oleh sesiapa. Inilah komitmen kerajaan yang ada hari ini.

Rakyat Malaysia yang dikasihi,

Mencapai status negara maju berpendapatan tinggi adalah matlamat kita. Apa yang mustahak, kita mahu menjadi sebuah negara maju berpendapatan tinggi  dengan acuan kita sendiri, di mana kebahagiaan individu, keluarga dan masyarakat menjadi asas utama bukan semata-mata angkatunjuk ekonomi. Oleh kerana itulah, Dasar Transformasi Negara digubal dan dilaksana bagi memastikan setiap rakyat Malaysia akan merasai nikmat kemajuan yang diusahakan.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian,

Saya bagi pihak kerajaan telahpun membentangkan laporan tentang perjalanan yang telah dilalui semenjak tiga tahun lalu. Saya yakin bahawa rakyat telahpun bukan sekadar dapat melihat, mendengar dan menilai apa yang telah berlaku, tetapi juga merasai kesannya.
 
Maka, kini, saatnya hampir tiba apabila rakyat akan membuat pilihan tentang halatuju negara untuk tempoh lima tahun akan datang. Pilihan ini ialah tentang kebolehpercayaan, tentang harapan, tentang masa depan, tentang kelangsungan ceritera kejayaan Malaysia dan tentang janji ditepati.

Dari itu, rakyat Malaysia perlu memilih antara kerajaan hari ini yang telah membuktikan bahawa ianya sebuah kerajaan yang boleh dipercayai, kerajaan yang mendokong harapan, kerajaan yang berusaha gigih mencipta masa depan yang lebih baik untuk anak-anak Malaysia, kerajaan yang akan meneruskan dasar-dasar yang terbukti berjaya ATAU pihak sebelah sana yang, apabila bercakap ibarat lidah tidak bertulang, apabila diberi amanah pula mereka mengambil mudah.

Kita juga bukan seperti mereka, apabila musim pilihanraya menerbitkan manifesto tetapi setelah menjadi kerajaan janji-janji itu dimungkiri. Sudahlah manifesto yang dibuat tidak ditunaikan, diterbitkan pula janji baru dalam bentuk buku jingga yang ternyata tidak dikaji dengan baik kemampuannya dan kesan kepada kewangan negara. Tidak cukup setakat itu, nampaknya, belum pun kering dakwat dokumen buku jingga, dikeluarkan pula manifesto baru.

Pucuk pangkalnya, jika janji lama dimungkiri, janji baru yang dibuat hampir mustahil untuk ditunaikan, maka, bolehkah rakyat berpegang kepada janji-janji baru mereka? Adakah sebenarnya mereka boleh dipercayai? Mampukah kita mempertaruhkan harapan masa depan anak cucu kita kepada mereka? Walhal dengan rekod yang buruk, adakah kita yakin mereka mampu mencipta masa depan yang lebih baik?

Oleh yang demikian, pilihlah kerajaan yang transformatif. Janganlah pilih kerajaan yang memusnah. Janganlah memilih kerajaan yang akan meruntuhkan masa depan kita dan anak-anak kita. Janganlah sesekali bereksperimen dengan masa depan kerana amat sukar untuk bangkit dan pulih dari kepunahan sekiranya ia melanda akibat pilihan yang salah.

Hakikatnya, kerajaan hari ini adalah kerajaan yang menjunjung kesejahteraan rakyat. Salah satu contoh terbaik iltizam ini ialah Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia. BR1M 1.0 dan 2.0 yang kerajaan berikan, telah sampai langsung ke tangan rakyat. Ia satu inisiatif yang mendatangkan manfaat yang besar kerana dapat membantu meringankan beban mereka yang berpendapatan rendah.
 
Sehubungan dengan itu, tuan-tuan dan puan-puan, sukacita saya mengumumkan kerajaan akan menjadikan dan meneruskan Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia sebagai inisiatif tahunan.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan rakyat Malaysia yang dikasihi sekalian,

Marilah kita bina masa depan yang gemilang untuk semua, marilah kita bina masa depan yang menjanjikan pulangan adil kepada yang bekerja keras, yang berkreativiti, yang berinovasi dan yang sanggup mengambil risiko. Marilah kita bina sebuah Malaysia yang menjanjikan taman kebahagiaan untuk semua.

Wabillahi Taufik Wal Hidayah Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Sekian, terima kasih.