NEW YORK, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a leading foreign affairs think tank, in New York on Tuesday, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak highlighted Malaysia's economic transformation programme (ETP)and the opportunities it offered to foreign investors.
Lightheartedly addressing the packed auditorium as a "captive audience" - there were ripples of mild laughter amongst the attentively listening audience - he referred to his government's New Economic Model (NEM) which would bring about Malaysia's economic transformation.
Najib's lecture with the title "The Economic Transformation Programme in Malaysia", took stock of the changes in the country which he said needed to adapt itself to a global environment characterized by fierce competition with China, India and, lately, Vietnam.
The Prime Minister spoke of the creation of a "new paradigm" for Malaysia.
"We are trying to achieve nation-building in the form of our 1Malaysia concept which is aimed to bring all Malaysians together, irrespective of their ethnic and religious background, so that they can move together," he said.
He urged Malaysians living in the United States to join forces to make Malaysia a great nation.
Najib, playing up the advantages inherent in the attributes of Malaysia's diverse ethnic composition, particularly the Chinese and Indian population, observed: "We can relate to China, India, the Middle East and other places.
We can be connected to the world."
The new policy would also help the country's Bumiputras (original inhabitants) who he said "deserved help not because they are connected but because they merit it".
"This will also encourage foreign investors to come to Malaysia. Our (old) thinking has to change, if we want to be a developed nation by 2020. We have launched an ambitious new economic model to raise the per capita of Malaysians from currently US$7,000 (RM22,000) to US$15,000 (RM43,000), creating some 3.3 million jobs, and have identified 135 major projects in the country," he disclosed.
The Prime Minister said Malaysia was going to re-energise the private sector which would provide 92 per cent of the investments and function as an engine of growth.
He referred to the massive infrastructure project of setting up a MRT (mass Rapid Transport) system for Kuala Lumpur with an investment tag of US$12.5 billion (RM38.6 billion) aimed at bolstering the economy.
Such projects would contribute to future growth and facilitate Malaysia's transition to the goal of a developed nation by 2020, he said.
Najib said that Malaysia was interested in a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States - the talks had been called off during the Bush administration after both sides failed to achieve any progress - but also pointed out that there was a multilateral framework for negotiations between the US and the Asean grouping.
Najib underscored the importance of the US not only because it was Malaysia's third biggest market, after China and Singapore, but also because "we share the same common values and freedom".
He pointed out that 600 US companies were present in Malaysia.
Though economic and business issues were key elements of his address - Najib later faced a question and answer session led by Maurice R. Greenberg, chairman and CEO of C.V. Starr and Co. Inc., who had earlier introduced the Prime Minister - the discussions also, invariably, turned to a number issues that fell outside the ambit of business and commerce.
Hints dropped by the Prime Minister suggested that Malaysia aspired to become a strategic partner of the US.
"We should re-engage with the US because the forces that connect us are far greater than those that divide us. The US and Malaysia remain good partners because of the common values that bind us," Najib emphasized.
Najib called for moderates in the US and Malaysia to work together to stop extremism and violence.
He acknowledged the role of the evangelicals who were able to stop the recent threat by an obscure US pastor to burn the Koran.
Najib aid that Islam was a peaceful and tolerant religion which prescribed justice for all - Muslim and non-Muslims alike.
He said said that Malaysia would be sending a team of female Muslim doctors to Afghanistan which faced a scarcity of female medical experts to treat the female population.
There was also concern amongst American strategic thinkers over China's aggressive posturing in Southeast Asia.
Asked how he perceived the growing assertiveness of China in the region, Najib said that one must come to terms with the "new China" which was more assertive than before.
"However, we believe that China cannot destabilize the region.
We have mechanisms within Asean to resolve any differences.
The Chinese are pragmatic people.
But China certainly has greater economic clout," he said.
However, he said Malaysia also believed that the region should not be exclusive to one power's domination.
Najib also cleared the air about the episode concerning Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, which has been widely reported in the local media.
"Fundamentally, it is not the Malaysian government which is against Anwar.
It is an individual, one of his own staff members, who has filed a police report against him."
Najib also answered questions about the forthcoming high-profile visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Malaysia.
"India is a very important partner for us.
We are looking at various avenues of cooperation with India," he told Bernama in reply to a question about Singh's visit.
Najib, who was in India early this year, identified a number of areas of cooperation with the country such as in infrastructure, information technology, machine-building and electronics.
Najib also disclosed that before leaving for the US, he had asked the Malaysian minister concerned to finalise the negotiations with India on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
He said that India was equally interested to have the accord ready for signature during the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Malaysia in October.
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