Najib’s 100-day programme to woo national, party critics

Najib is expected to get to work quickly to improve the public delivery system, cut crime and corruption, enhance transparency and strengthen inter-ethnic harmony. — Reuters pic
KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak is expected to roll out a 100-day programme within days to win over doubters and persuade Umno that he is the best to lead the party and the country, say sources.

The Malaysian Insider understands that borrowing some ideas from the Abdullah administration, the Najib government will also work to improve the public delivery system, cut crime and corruption, enhance transparency and strengthen inter-ethnic harmony.

“Najib wants a quick start, he is already meeting advisers on this,” a source told The Malaysian Insider.

In an interview with Singapore's The Straits Times 10 days ago, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin also said Najib’s 100-day programme is to speed up existing programmes to reduce crime and corruption, and cap the cost of living.

“These are the top three issues that weighed heavily in the urban swing,” he had said, adding that Najib will continue to improve the public sector and economy, and expand civil liberties.

The sources said Khairy, now youth and sports minister, and younger ministers such as Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan will be among those playing a leading role in the 100-day programme.

Najib had named his Cabinet last week, a mix of veterans and new faces, to continue his transformation programmes he initiated in his first four years in office.

He co-opted Transparency International Malaysia president Datuk Paul Low and Malayan Banking Berhad chief executive Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar into the Cabinet while keeping his economics team intact.

Najib’s Barisan Nasional (BN) campaigned on “A Better Nation” platform in the May 5 general election but lost more federal seats, only getting 133 to the 140 won in Election 2008.

Although his Umno won more seats and the coalition took back Kedah, there has been some criticisms about the BN campaign, with long-serving former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad saying he had expected a better performance.

Dr Mahathir’s views are seen as crucial as the veteran leader had criticised his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s moves to reverse some policies and programmes after winning the coalition’s biggest mandate of 91 per cent in the 2004 elections.

Dr Mahathir’s criticisms led to BN losing its two-thirds majority in Election 2008 and four states, prompting Abdullah to quit office in 2009.

When Abdullah took office in 2003, he launched a high-profile 100-day programme that saw faster passport application processing and high profile anti-graft arrests.

In February 2004, former Perwaja Steel managing director Tan Sri Eric Chia and the then Land and Co-operative Development Minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam were arrested for corruption.

On February 13, 2004, then Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim announced that at least another 18 high-profile corruption cases were with various authorities awaiting further action.

But there were no further arrests and both Chia and Kasitah won acquittals in their corruption charges.

Dr Mahathir had also launched a 100-day programme when he took office in 1981 and later expanded it in BN’s “Bersih, Cekap, Amanah” (Clean, Efficient, Trustworthy) manifesto in the 1982 polls.