ID :
26428
Fri, 10/24/2008 - 23:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/26428
The shortlink copeid
EFFORTS BEING MADE TO GRADUALLY LIBERALISE NEP ELEMENTS, SAYS DPM
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak is confident
that the elements of the National Economic Policy (NEP), which ended in 1990 and
was replaced by the National Development Policy in 1991, will gradually be
removed.
"I'm working towards gradual liberalisation (of the NEP elements) as and
when the bumiputeras (son of the soil) feel they are confident. And I'm glad to
say that more and more of them are confident of competing now, of doing well
globally and of course domestically.
"In the not too distant future we will see elements of the NEP being
replaced," the deputy prime minister said in a recorded interview on Bloomberg
TV's programme, "Bloomberg Voices", aired here Friday.
He said this in response to the programme's anchorwoman, Haslinda Amin,
who
wanted to know his views on the NEP.
"My position is there should be gradual removal of the elements of the NEP
and at the same time look in terms of the legitimate grievances and needs of
every community," he said in the 30-minute programme.
"And I believe that the needs and legitimate grievances of every community
of all Malaysians in the country must be addressed. It must be seen that we are
serious about solving their problems," he added.
On his vision for Malaysia as the upcoming leader of the country, Najib
said
he hoped to take the country to the next level of development with
emphasis not just on physical development but also on transforming Malaysia.
"Not only in terms of GDP growth but we want to build a stronger Malaysia,
stronger institutions, stronger values and people and generally manage the
greater expectations of Malaysians in terms of a more progressive, matured and
sophisticated society," he added.
Touching on civil liberties, Najib said society had become more
sophisticated and concerned about civil liberties, about the mature of democracy
and "we have to address that."
"We can talk about the Internal Security Act, for example. It's a
piece of preemptive legislation in the context of combating terrorism, in the
context of preventing something ugly from happening, whether it's an act of
terrorism, whether it's a racial clash or something like that," he said.
"And at the end of the day, whatever laws you want to apply in this country
have to be predicated on a strong popular support for the laws, otherwise it
will be counter productive," Najib said.
On rejuvenating United Malay National Organisation (Umno), he said it was a
huge challenge and "I think Umno is up to the task. We have to grow through this
whole process of understanding where we are today and where we fared badly in
the past elections.
"There must be this political will and desire to change within Umno. I
don't think we can expect people to look at us in more favourable terms unless
we change, we rectify our weaknesses, we project a better image.
"I've come up very openly to say that if we do not change, the people will
change us," he said.
Asked on the spilt in the party, the Umno deputy president said that
everytime there was a party election there would be people contesting and there
would be divergent views. Umno is leading the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
"But after the contest is over, generally within Umno there is spirit to
close ranks. And I hope that will happen and I think it will happen," he
said.
On whether there is a need to get a fresh mandate, Najib said there was no
need to hold an election since the current Barisan Nasional government had the
mandate to continue for the next five years and "we intend to continue and
intend to deliver and at the end of the period, the people can judge us."
Relating to his involvement in politics, Najib said he had always been
interested in politics, but his late father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, did not
want him to be in politics.
"He wanted me to be an accountant," he said, adding that when his father
died in office in 1976, he, at 22, had to make that crucial decision.
"I decided that let me jump into the deep end of the pool. Either I swim or
sink. I had to make that choice and I made that choice. And I like to make a
very big distinction that I entered politics after my father passed away.
There's a big difference," he said.
Najib said tht after being in the government for more than two decades, he
felt that his contribution to the educational reforms while holding the post of
Education Minister from 1995 to 1999, and the modernisation of the armed forces
were a significant part of his contribution to the country.
"I'm quite pleased with what I have achieved so far," he said, adding that
his concept of leadership was performance-based while in the context of
leadership, he liked to be seen as a transformational leader.
-- BERNAMA
that the elements of the National Economic Policy (NEP), which ended in 1990 and
was replaced by the National Development Policy in 1991, will gradually be
removed.
"I'm working towards gradual liberalisation (of the NEP elements) as and
when the bumiputeras (son of the soil) feel they are confident. And I'm glad to
say that more and more of them are confident of competing now, of doing well
globally and of course domestically.
"In the not too distant future we will see elements of the NEP being
replaced," the deputy prime minister said in a recorded interview on Bloomberg
TV's programme, "Bloomberg Voices", aired here Friday.
He said this in response to the programme's anchorwoman, Haslinda Amin,
who
wanted to know his views on the NEP.
"My position is there should be gradual removal of the elements of the NEP
and at the same time look in terms of the legitimate grievances and needs of
every community," he said in the 30-minute programme.
"And I believe that the needs and legitimate grievances of every community
of all Malaysians in the country must be addressed. It must be seen that we are
serious about solving their problems," he added.
On his vision for Malaysia as the upcoming leader of the country, Najib
said
he hoped to take the country to the next level of development with
emphasis not just on physical development but also on transforming Malaysia.
"Not only in terms of GDP growth but we want to build a stronger Malaysia,
stronger institutions, stronger values and people and generally manage the
greater expectations of Malaysians in terms of a more progressive, matured and
sophisticated society," he added.
Touching on civil liberties, Najib said society had become more
sophisticated and concerned about civil liberties, about the mature of democracy
and "we have to address that."
"We can talk about the Internal Security Act, for example. It's a
piece of preemptive legislation in the context of combating terrorism, in the
context of preventing something ugly from happening, whether it's an act of
terrorism, whether it's a racial clash or something like that," he said.
"And at the end of the day, whatever laws you want to apply in this country
have to be predicated on a strong popular support for the laws, otherwise it
will be counter productive," Najib said.
On rejuvenating United Malay National Organisation (Umno), he said it was a
huge challenge and "I think Umno is up to the task. We have to grow through this
whole process of understanding where we are today and where we fared badly in
the past elections.
"There must be this political will and desire to change within Umno. I
don't think we can expect people to look at us in more favourable terms unless
we change, we rectify our weaknesses, we project a better image.
"I've come up very openly to say that if we do not change, the people will
change us," he said.
Asked on the spilt in the party, the Umno deputy president said that
everytime there was a party election there would be people contesting and there
would be divergent views. Umno is leading the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
"But after the contest is over, generally within Umno there is spirit to
close ranks. And I hope that will happen and I think it will happen," he
said.
On whether there is a need to get a fresh mandate, Najib said there was no
need to hold an election since the current Barisan Nasional government had the
mandate to continue for the next five years and "we intend to continue and
intend to deliver and at the end of the period, the people can judge us."
Relating to his involvement in politics, Najib said he had always been
interested in politics, but his late father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, did not
want him to be in politics.
"He wanted me to be an accountant," he said, adding that when his father
died in office in 1976, he, at 22, had to make that crucial decision.
"I decided that let me jump into the deep end of the pool. Either I swim or
sink. I had to make that choice and I made that choice. And I like to make a
very big distinction that I entered politics after my father passed away.
There's a big difference," he said.
Najib said tht after being in the government for more than two decades, he
felt that his contribution to the educational reforms while holding the post of
Education Minister from 1995 to 1999, and the modernisation of the armed forces
were a significant part of his contribution to the country.
"I'm quite pleased with what I have achieved so far," he said, adding that
his concept of leadership was performance-based while in the context of
leadership, he liked to be seen as a transformational leader.
-- BERNAMA
