Don’t be afraid to make unpopular decisions, says Najib

A government must not be afraid to make unpopular decisions if it benefits the country in the long run, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak .

The Prime Minister gave his assurance that while policies like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) may not be popular, the decision to implement the tax system will benefit Malaysia.

“We must be confident that the policies we introduce will bear fruit. Do not be afraid to make decisions that are unpopular. It may not show its results in the short term, but it will in the long run,” Najib told staff at his department’s monthly assembly here on Monday.

“We all know we must find ways to increase the country’s income, that’s why we introduced the GST, even though it is not popular.

“We must improve on the implementation, take action against those who irresponsibly increase prices and also constantly give explanations.

“To be a competitive country, we must reduce corporate and individual tax. Thailand has reduced theirs to 20%. Singapore reduced theirs to 17%. So far, we have reduced our individual tax.

“When our income has increased, we will be able to use it to reduce the people's burdens,” he added.

Najib also urged his staffe to work together “as a family”.

“I assure you that when our economy improves and the market becomes more confident of us, we will move forward.
“We will be able to achieve our aspirations, but only with the condition that we work as a family. We are all in one team,” he said.