KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak urged the nation on Friday night to embark on a "great journey together" to transform the country, promising them that his administration would place priority on performance and the people.
In his maiden speech aired over national television, he told Malaysians that his administration would strive to live up to the slogan "One Malaysia. People First. Performance Now."
Najib, who was sworn-in as the new prime minister earlyFriday, said that the government would adopt "new approaches for new times -- a government that places a priority on performance, because the people must come first."
His words were laced with certainty as he pledged that none would be left out in the country's pursuit for progress.
"We must reach out to all parts of Malaysia... to all our diverse communities. In our national discourse and in pursuing our national agenda, we must never leave anyone behind," he said.
"We must reach out to the many who may have been disaffected and left confused by political games, deceit and showmanship," he added.
Malaysians tuned in to listen to his prime time address while others logged on to his blog at "1malaysia.com.my" where his text of the speech was promptly uploaded.
He said that in the coming weeks, he would be consulting with people around the country "as I begin to reshape the leadership and priorities of the government."
"I am mindful," he said, "that we should build on the successes and lessons of the past."
He also spoke of his growing up years and said that he was inspired by the positive impact of public service "in the example of my late father (Tun Razak Hussein)"
Tun Razak was Malaysia's prime minister from Sept 22, 1970 until his death on Jan 14, 1976.
Najib said that his life has been dedicated to public service.
"Four decades on, I remain committed to the goals of tackling poverty, of restructuring our society, of expanding access to quality education for all, and of inspiring a new generation of young Malaysians to work on behalf of this great country."
He also said that his service in government had always been about getting results.
"(This includes) to ensure a better deal for teachers, to improve conditions for our brave soldiers, and to strengthen our economy in defence of the people of Malaysia, as we deal with the outbreak of a global recession," he said.
He also spoke of the need to approach the young and care for their hopes and aspirations.
"We must seek to include and unlock the potential of our young people who will be the next generation of leaders, business people, engineers, scientists, teachers and doctors. We must give them wings to fly," he said.
Najib expressed gratitude to former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for his 31 years of service to the country and for his confidence in him as the successor.
No comments:
Post a Comment