GOVT CREDIBLE IN PRESENTING FACTS, SAYS DPM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said
Wednesday the government is credible in presenting facts because they have been
studied in depth and scrutinised and could be substantiated.

He said international organisations would surely criticise the government
if it had no credibility.

"We scrutinise the facts we present, we study them in depth and we can
substantiate them," he said in a special interview aired over TV2 of national
broadcasting station Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), on the economic stimulus
package for Budget 2009, responding to a member of the interview panel who had
said there were claims the facts he presented were incorrect.

On public transportation, Najib, who is also the finance minister, said
this
service had many weaknesses and they could only be overcome by having one
management authority.

He said the proposed Public Transportation Commission would be able to look
into the more holistic and comprehensive needs of the service in the cities,
including Kuala Lumpur.

"In terms of public transportation, we have allocated RM500 million under
the stimulus package for immediate improvement of the light rail transit system
and bus services.

"This means that where we need to expend immediately, we will do that," he
said.

However, he said, the RM500 million was not allocated to set up the
commission.

Commenting on whether the stimulus package, which aims to raise the
disposable income, would also be extended to non-salaried people, he said the
RM200 million allocated for the micro-credit scheme was for this category of
people.

"This means there is an extension of the access to micro credit. Therefore,
small traders are also given consideration in this fiscal stimulus package," he
said.

Besides, for farmers and fishermen there were ongoing programmes which have
been announced by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, he said.

Asked of the possibility of the government reducing the number of migrant
workers, he said the government had such an objective in mind.

He said the Industrialised Building System (IBS) could reduce the number of
workers by 60 per cent.
-- BERNAMA