FULFILLING PEOPLE'S ASPIRATIONS PM'S PRIORITY

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- Najib Razak says fulfilling the people's
aspirations is his priority as the prime minister.

"Every leader has his own style. I do not know what style the people see in
me, but I have made it a point that whatever I do is to fulfill the people's
aspirations.

"This is what I give priority to in my work," said Najib, who is also Umno
president, in an exclusive interview with Bernama at his office here in
conjunction with the ongoing United Malays National Organisation (Umno) general
assembly. Umno is the main party leading the ruling National Front Coalition or
Barisan Nasional (BN).

Najib, who took up active politics after the death of his father, Tun Abdul
Razak Hussein, the nation's second prime minister, was also asked if he saw a
parallel in his present political challenge with that of his father who was
tasked with healing the country after the racial riots following the general
election in May 1969.

"It is a crisis ... in fact, there were only two major crises in our
history, that was 1969 and 2008," he said, referring also to the setback
suffered by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the general election
last year.

Najib said: "In both cases, we had to respond to the setbacks. (Tun) Razak
responded during that time and, within 18 months, we recovered and returned to
parliamentary democracy.

"(Tun) Razak had (started) Barisan Nasional and the challenges posed by the
May 13 (incident), we had durian parties and so on, all those trying to get the
races to work together, and, in fact, he was instrumental in getting the
opposition Gerakan and later PPP to join BN. He did all the political
reengineering."

Asked what he wanted Umno members to do to strengthen racial solidarity, the
Umno president said he wished to see them start with solidarity in the party
first, and then in the context of the BN.

"Subsequently, we must also pioneer efforts for an outreach programme for
those who are not members of any BN component party.

"It is for this reason that I am advocating openness in our approach," he
said.

Najib has been practising what he preaches.

He has often gone on walkabouts to learn of the people's problems, given
equal focus to the people in Sabah and Sarawak, and met with various
organisations representing the different races.

Of late, Najib has shown his willingness to cooperate with people outside
the BN who supported the coalition, reflected in his launching of the new
Malaysian Makkal Sakti Party recently.
-- BERNAMA