TOMORROW marks the fourth anniversary of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as
prime minister. It was on April 3, 2009 that he took over the reins
of the government, after his predecessor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,
stepped down.
Tomorrow may seem just like any day for many, but considering the hotly
anticipated dissolution of Parliament and the ensuing 13th general
election, it should be a good day to take stock of what Najib has done
during his four years helming the country.
With all the developments leading up to the elections, it should be
noted that Najib's administration has set the bar really high with its
many milestones.
The Government Transformation Programme and Economic Transformation
Programme, which were separately rolled out within his two years in
office, remain the most clear-cut of national agendas, covering a broad
spectrum of issues affecting the people.
These had proven to be a roaring success, especially so when one
considers that he had to run the country and enact all these changes
after "inheriting" a ruling coalition that had experienced the effects
of the political tsunami of the previous national polls, all the while
having to stave off the threat posed by the global economic crunch.
Even the harshest of critics would find it hard to argue the case
against the benefits that these national transformation policies have
brought about in such a short span of time.
The government was single-minded in its mission to go back to the basics
of governance -- serve the people better by constantly engaging with
all segments of society to gauge their needs.
The volatile global economy has certainly made its mark on Malaysia, as
those in the middle and low-income groups would probably attest to as
they grapple with issues related to the increasing cost of living.
The ruling Barisan Nasional, of which Najib is the chairman, made it a
point to understand the specific needs of the people, and through the
GTP and ETP came the hallmark initiatives of the 1Malaysia People's Aid
(BR1M), 1Malaysia Book Voucher Programme, Back-to-School Incentive,
Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia and Klinik 1Malaysia, among many others.
In his administration, Najib has ensured his cabinet members are
accountable in each of their respective fields, thus making corporate
world terms such as "ministerial key performance indicators" part and
parcel of the public service working culture.
The National Key Result Areas had also ensured issues such as graft
busting, crime reduction, public transport, education, poverty, rural
infrastructure and cost of living remain a high priority under the BN
government.
Legislative reforms such as the abolition of the Internal Security Act
and amendments to archaic legislation covering issues related to the
right to peaceful assembly, students' involvement in politics and
printing press licences were carried out under Najib's watch.
Another highlight was the setting up of TalentCorp Malaysia, which
offers incentives for Malay-sian professionals returning from abroad.
Najib has also made his mark as a leader of calibre on the global front
after being instrumental in finalising the Framework Peace Agreement
between representatives of the Muslim Bangsamoro people in southern
Philippines and the Philippine government last October.
More recently, Najib's efforts in getting Malaysia to play facilitator
between the Thai government and representatives from southern Thailand's
Muslim-majority community, had resulted in the first- ever attempt at
brokering peace and putting an end to the bloody insurgency in those
provinces.
National Council of Professors' head of politics, security and
international affairs cluster, Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak, said
besides managing well national affairs, Najib had shown he was a world
statesman as well.
Now, all eyes are on Najib as the nation awaits his announcement on when Parliament would be dissolved.
Your guess is as good as mine but if there's one thing we can be sure of, Najib has certainly delivered.
And for that, we wish you the heartiest of congratulations on your fourth year in office, Sir.
MANY MILESTONES: Najib has made his mark as a leader of calibre on the national and global fronts
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