Najib ‘cautiously optimistic’

AS Malaysia’s long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition faces its toughest battle at the ballot booth on May 5, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he was “cautiously optimistic” of being returned to power.
In an interview with The Straits Times, Najib said: “I am cautiously optimistic of a good result in the general election and our ability to form a strong and stable government.”
Najib’s Barisan, in power now for 55 years, is fighting a strong opposition that is running on the theme of change.
His remark stands in stark contrast to the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat’s confidence of scoring big in the country’s 13th general election.
In an e-mailed response to questions, Najib said: “Malaysia needs a government with experience and a track record that shows it can deliver on its pledges and handle unexpected challenges.”
In the 2008 election, the Barisan lost its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament, its worst performance since 1969. The opposition also won five of 13 states, one of which reverted to the Barisan following defections.
That precarious political position prompted Najib to embark on a series of reforms after he took over from his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in April 2009.
His ambitious economic reform agenda cuts across 12 sectors and involves 150 massive projects promising total investments of US$444bil (RM1.35tril) and creating about 3.3 million new jobs between 2010 and 2020.
Indeed, economic reform is an overarching theme on both sides of the political divide in the election.
In courting the roughly 13.3 million voters, both the Barisan and Pakatan have pledged to improve Malaysians’ economic well-being and strengthen the economy.
About a quarter of the voters will be casting their votes for state and federal government seats for the first time.
The opposition Pakatan, which released its manifesto before the Barisan, has accused the Barisan of copying its mission statement, a charge which Najib scoffs at: “The opposition manifesto borrows heavily from pre-existing government policies. So any plagiarism is theirs. Ours is a costed, targeted set of tangible policies.
“The opposition’s is a fantasy wish list of gimmicks and giveaways that the country can’t afford.”
It is not only the fate of the Barisan that rests on Najib’s shoulders – a win with a smaller majority would put the Prime Minister himself at risk of being replaced as chief of his own Umno party.
Pundits predict a Barisan win although they appear divided on the size of the winning
margin. In 2008, the coalition bagged 140 out of 222 seats.
Growth numbers are rosy – the economy grew 5.6% last year from 5.1% in 2011. Over
the first quarter of this year, the economy
grew 6.4%, against a weak global economic backdrop.
But critics lament that the economic plan relies heavily on pump-priming projects which benefit big businesses and mean little to the general populace.
In defence, Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said creating a business-friendly environment is just as critical for small- and medium-sized business owners who employ many Malaysians.
Moreover, ploughing funds into building better roads, providing more accessible healthcare and more affordable housing, implementing poverty reduction programmes and improving public transport benefit ordinary Malaysians, he said.
There is frustration that much-needed structural reforms in fighting graft and crime and raising the quality of education have not been effectively tackled.
Meanwhile, subsidy cuts – a key goal of Najib’s ambitious plan, particularly on electricity and fuel prices – have been clawed back for fear of a voter backlash.
Najib readily concedes that more could have been done.
“As the old saying goes, politics is the art of the possible. If you’re not willing to compromise, you won’t get very far.”