MALAYSIAN PM STAMPS HIS MARK AT APEC SUMMIT

SINGAPORE, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- It is barely eight months since Najib Razak
rose to the helm of the Malaysian government, but the country's sixth prime
minister has already stamped his mark on the international stage with his good
grasp of international and economic issues.

Many described him as the "Star at Apec".

At the just-concluded Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders week
in Singapore, not only his bold moves to liberalise the Malaysian economy caught
the eye of many and were amply lauded, Najib also made a strong impact with the
business community during the Apec business dialogues.

At the Apec CEO summit attended by 1,500 top international and regional
business leaders, Brunei's Economic Development Board Chairman Timothy Ong,
chairing the dialogue, remarked that Najib had "scored high marks with the
delegates".

"His presentation was one of quality, confidence and he was a very skillful
performer," Ong said after the prime minister presented his views at the
dialogue themed "Is the Global Crisis Really Over?"

"He had a lovely sense of humour," Ong said of the 56-year-old
British educated Najib, the son of Malaysia's second premier, Abdul Razak
Hussein, who was attending the Apec meet for the first time as prime minister.

At one stage during the dialogue, one participant asked Najib what made him
think that his stimulus package to revive the Malaysian economy would work.

Reflecting his confident demeanour and his no-nonsense approach, the
soft-spoken Najib said emphatically: "Well, it had better work. Otherwise, you
won't see me around for too long."

His spontaneous reply drew loud laughter from the hundreds of people
comprising top business leaders and captains of industry among the packed
audience at the Suntec International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Council co-chairman and US East-West
Center President Dr Charles Morrison said Najib clearly made a strong impression
on the audience who liked to see determination, confidence, honesty, and the
touch of modesty that the prime minister portrayed.

"In short, it was a master class in effective communication," Ong added,
referring to Najib's clear and articulate presentation.

Morrison said Najib took questions and answered them with personal warmth
and humour.

When Ong asked all the panelists, including World Bank President Robert
Zoellick, to end their presentation with a short statement on how to mend the
global economy, Najib succinctly said: " Externally, free trade, more free
trade, and domestically, a new economic model."

Najib had summed it well as when the leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific
economies ended their meeting, the grouping declared to achieve free trade and
open markets, adding that there was a need for new economic growth model to take
the region into the 21st century global economy.

Morrison said the prime minister "seems very comfortable with his position
as a leader."

Since taking over from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the fifth prime minister,
Najib has been on the radar screens of the business community, both in Malaysia
and internationally.

The community is watching closely Najib's bold and far-reaching economic
reforms -- liberalising a wide range of sectors of the domestic economy, issuing
new banking licences for foreigners and relaxing regulations with respect to
Bumiputera (sons of the soil or native people) equity, opening up Malaysia's
market and providing further boot to the economy.

For that, Ong described Najib as a "reformist", but when asked later about
how he felt about that description, the prime minister said "never mind", adding
that it was Ong's personal opinion.

Malaysia, which relies heavily on exports, has been hard hit by the recent
global financial crisis, and is trying to pull itself out of the economic
doldrums.

The government has estimated that the country's growth rate this year to be
around - 2 per cent to 3 per cent.

But Najib, who is also Finance Minister, told participants of the Apec
dialogue that he would push hard to ensure that Malaysia achieved a five per
cent economic growth next year, two per cent more than the earlier expectation
by the government.

He said his administration would unveil a new economic model for Malaysia by
year-end, one that would identify new sources of growth to ensure that the
country achieved a growth rate higher than 3 per cent post-crisis.

Malaysia's fortitude in promoting free trade during Apec was evident when
the prime minister and his ministers -- International Trade and Industry
Minister Mustapa Mohamed and Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah --
also stressed the importance of free and fair trade.

Malaysai's position was made clear to the US leaders when Mustapa and Husni
in their bilateral meetings with Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Treasury
Secretary Timothy Geithner reiterated the Prime Minister's message.

The US had been blamed for stalling for over a year the Free Trade Agreement
(FTA) negotiations with Malaysia, and now is seen as abandoning the FTA for
other loose economic alliances in the region.

Najib frankly told the audience that he had been saying it privately and
wanted to state it openly that what he liked about President Bush was his "very
pro-free trade" policy.

"I hope the same message will be repeated in Singapore and the leaders will
see to it that the Doha Round is completed next year," the prime minister said,
to loud applause from the audience.

The remarks made headlines on the news wires and online news portals.

The prime minister demonstrated his strong grasp of the economy and
international trade, adding that the old paradigm of "manufacture in the East,
consume in the West" that worked for Malaysia for many years was no longer
practical.

This new economic model would be based more on innovation, new sources of
growth, structural changes and strengthening domestic demand.

Obama praised Malaysia for maintaining regional peace and security.

The US president acknowledged the role played by Malaysia in tackling
terrorism as the intermediary in resolving the conflict in Southern Philippines,
maintaining security in the Straits of Melaka and checking human trafficking.

All in all, Malaysia looks set to head back to the forefront, with Najib
providing a fresh impetus to the country's leadership with his brave and bold
moves. Malaysia will definitely be on the radar in the international arena.

One renowned Malaysian businessman, who left the CEO summit after Najib
ended his dialogue session was overheard, saying: "I'm proud to have Najib as my
Prime Minister."

Meanwhile, the President of the Kuala Lumpur Business Club, Rohana Mahmood,
said the audience also took cognisance of his deep knowledge on finance with
many remarking that as finance minister also, "he knows his stuff."

His passionate plea for countries to pursue free trade and importance of the
conclusion of the Doha Round also went down well with the audience.

Najib's insightful response to the ingredients needed to achieve sustainable
energy such as free trade coupled with a new economic model also put him in good
stead at the panel discussion and undoubtedly made him a "Star of Apec" despite
his inaugural attendance as Prime Minister, she said.
-- BERNAMA