FAILURE NOT END OF THE ROAD, SAYS MALAYSIAN PM NAJIB

PUTRAJAYA, April 26 (Bernama) -- Failure in achieving any target should not
be seen as the end of the road but has to be accepted as part of the learning
process instead, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said Monday.

He said that in a culture of the innovative economy, one should accept any
kind of failure as it would prepare one to go through a new process to create a
long-term victory.

Speaking at a news conference after officiating at the Malaysia Green Forum
2010 here, he said Malaysians had to change their mindsets to accept failure
with an open heart as a part of the system.

"We have to do an assessment and take calculated risks. Some will fail,
naturally, but, as you know, in a culture of the innovative economy, failure is
something that should be accepted.

"Failure does not mean the end of everything. Failure is actually a lesson
learnt so that the next time around you will succeed," he said.

Najib was commenting on the perceived reluctance of commercial banks in
disbursing loans for green technology-related projects in Malaysia.

"I think the problem with the commercial banks is that they are not so
confident about funding a project that relates to green development or green
technology.

"In a way, I understand because quite a bit of the requests are quite
developmental in nature in the sense the technology is not proven yet, so the
risk factor is much higher," he said.

Earlier, in his speech, the prime minister said environmental sustainability
could only fully materialise if there was a complete and holistic ecosystem that
allowed for it.

The government, he said, was fully aware of this fact and had taken that
approach in gearing the nation towards the aim.

"I have identified six major components of this ecosystem and together they
form the acronym AFFIRM. They are awareness; faculty; finance; infrastructure;
research, development and commercialisation; and marketing," he said.

The two-day forum, with the theme "Greener and Sustainable Malaysia", hopes
to provide a platform for different stakeholders with an interest in various
green issues to meet, discuss and exchange ideas leading to the formulation of
joint resolutions on how best to handle the degradation of the natural and
living environment in a more efficient, effective and rapid manner.

The forum, which has attracted 450 participants, is jointly organised by
Landskap Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Putrajaya Foundation.

It is also supported by seven ministries, namely Natural Resources and
Environment; Energy, Green Technology and Water; Housing and Local Government;
Higher Education; Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing; Science, Technology
and Innovation; and Plantation Industries and Commodities.

-- BERNAMA