Najib’s Boost For Small Business is Another Manifesto Pledge Fulfilled

In the six weeks since GE13, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim have taken divergent paths which tell us much about the two men.

Anwar has been roaming the land bleating about alleged cheating at the ballot box despite the key piece of evidence to the contrary – that his coalition made gains at GE13.

He has been recklessly calling for a Parliamentary boycott, an idea that has already run out of steam, and has demanded the sacking of the Election Commission. Throughout it all, he has been blind to the fact few people now support his increasingly tedious argument.

In total contrast Najib is doing what he said he'll do – getting on with running the country. He emerged bruised from the poll but vowed that there would be "no sulking" on his side of the fence (take note Anwar) and turned immediately to the critical first 100 days of the new Government in which his new cabinet is being forced to directed their energies forwards, instead of looking backwards to what is now political history.

And it is important for this new team to show that they getting on with it. This year, 155 programmes aimed at benefiting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will be implemented by his Government and this is yet another BN manifesto pledged fulfilled. These programmes are valued at RM18.4 billion and will benefit 465,000 firms.

This is an important sector for because Najib because he, as much as anyone, recognises that as our economy develops small business will play an increasingly important role and SMEs are set to become the biggest employer in Malaysia by the year 2020.

The boost to the SME programme was announced by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar.

"This is an increase from the 133 programmes implemented last year, involving about RM7 billion and benefited more than 430,000 SMEs across all sectors," he said, reading a speech on behalf of Najib at the SME Annual Showcase 2013.

"The increase in allocations this year, including RM8 billion of private sector funding, is a strong head start for the private sector-led economy we envision for Malaysia. The government becomes more of a facilitator and mediator, and private enterprise takes charge," he added.

Wahid Omar knows more than anyone the problems faced by small business in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The Maybank chief saw how recoiling banks cut off the supply of credit to SMEs and the damage it caused.

But now he is part of a Government that can do something positive to help SMEs and in the process, is reminding the rakyat that the Government is getting on with the job it was elected to do.

Anwar really needs to take note.