Fulfill people’s mandate, civil servants told

PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants need to set a new standard by shifting to a new paradigm, reflecting the mandate, expectation and demand of the people, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

The reminder to move forward came in the wake of almost 30 days after the 13th general election (GE13) which was held on May 5.

Najib said civil servants cannot afford to look back and waste any more time on excessive politicking because it would derail the task of fulfilling promises and aspiration of voters who have given the mandate during the GE13.

As for the GE13, the prime minister said the government had taken several steps and measures in accordance with the law to ensure a transparent, fair and just election, including accepting recommendations from the opposition parties.

“However, there are still some who dispute the results of the GE13 claiming electoral fraud. If we know the procedure, it is almost impossible for anyone to cheat in a big way,” he said in his speech when addressing the staff of the Prime Minister’s Department during a monthly gathering at Dataran Perdana, here, today, the first since the GE13.

Najib said allegations by some with regard to the GE13 were ridiculous and baseless, especially claims that the Barisan Nasional had brought in 40,000 Bangladeshis as “phantom voters” to ensure victory.

He said similar accusations were in the “air” for months before the GE13, leading to a paranoid situation among those who believed, to an extend of even attacking a local who looked like a Bangladeshi, apparently to prevent the “phantom voter” from casting his vote.

“It is not fair for a local with tanned skin colour to be labelled as ‘foreigner’. We can laugh about it after the GE13 but during that time people were convinced by stories of phantom voters which were created just to tarnish the credibility of the election process,” he said.

Najib said the decision by the people of Malaysia to give the BN government the mandate to continue has been accepted by world leaders.

“Right now let us show that our country practices matured democracy, not by saying it but showing that we accept the process of democracy after the election,” he said.

“The government will continue its efforts to change and the transformation will continue because the people have shown that they want changes and that it can be done without changing the government,” he said.

Najib said weaknesses that were previously identified could have been centered around the government’s machinery which may have not been effective in addressing the “war of perception”.

“We can rectify the situation and find way to fight the war of perception – not reality but perception. Perception can be moulded in various ways, not only through a face to face approach, now there is face book.

“Maybe we should give more attention to such approach because we may lack expertise in such areas. But we can plan and use our expertise so that we can succeed in the future to ‘display’ the actual success – not perception but reality,” he said.

BAD MATH! DAP, PAS, PKR individually lost popular vote to BN

Incredibly, some people are, 26 days on, still mystified by May 5′s aftermath but here goes: Barisan Nasional triumphed handsomely to indisputably re-constitute the government after securing 133 parliamentary seats, well above the required first-past-the-post 112 but short of the magic 148 to win by a super majority.

However, opposition disinformation is pestering the electorate to presume that the BN somehow lost on two counts — unproven fraud and the so-called “popular” vote designed to coerce the BN to capitulate and surrender Putrajaya.

The DAP, in seizing a Chinese tsunami-inspired 38 seats, is still no closer to their leaders’ lifetime fantasy of co-ruling while Pas lost Kedah (and Perak, if you need to be picky) and PKR their overall 2008 gains although Kelantan and Selangor were fortified as strangleholds.

Pas and PKR were stumped by an Umno rejuvenated by Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s earnestness in picking up the post-2008 shattered pieces while Sarawak and Sabah BN stoutly stood their ground despite the massive ground assault.

BN’s blot? The MIC outperformed expectations but for the near-deaths of MCA and Gerakan, scrambling now for salvation through a speculatively inventive single multiracial party.

Putrajaya was a tantalising mirage when the polls results knocked the wind out of the defacto PKR leader’s premiership fixation. But it did not crush his dangerously fading agenda of incessantly fibbing about a “fraudulent” election — a “monstrous” lie as Dr Chandra Muzaffar indelicately put it, or as we’d like to put it, the sorest loser.

The loathsome soiree between Anwar and the dynastic duo of Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng needed to save face and appease a frustrated Chinese protectorate gifting them the record 89 seats by concocting the ridiculous disinformation campaign that the opposition, morally, won by edging the BN on the “popular” vote.

Nice try but wearied people have disavowed the disinformation. Unruffled, the opposition is determined not to lose its perception war by resorting to massive rallies, idiotic 100,000 police reports and clumsy sedition — overthrowing the government within a year on the noisy clamouring of a vicious street mob and its contempt of established court practices to hear election complaints.

The loose cannons spewing the allegedly seditious “overthrow the government” utterances have been deservedly arrested and charged, Malaysia’s rule of law decisively at work despite the predictably lame protests of political meddling, the ultimate argument of people who have lost the plot.

Strangely, the ragtag opposition is schizophrenic on the escalation of mob marauding: Pas emphatically dismissed it, key senior DAP and PKR leaders have disassociated themselves from it but the Lims are still two-faced about it, enjoying their reign in Penang but buttressing anyway Anwar’s nihilism.

Still, one cannot get over the engineering to overthrow this democratically-elected government that was fuelled by these humdingers — the logistically impossible deployment of immigrant workers to vote surreptitiously and the hindrance of legitimate voters by certain oppositionists’ fascist thuggery of racial-profiling, scapegoating and bodily harm.

Debunking the “popular vote” fairy tale will be difficult: the gullibly belligerent presuming that total votes counted (proper description for the so-called “popular” vote) split three ways, the highest to the PKR, followed by DAP and Pas, can amount to a singular but “mythical” united force. The myth is cynically perpetuated on the deceitful sloganeering of racism, corruption and rigged polling, consistently rubbished as fabrication but still eagerly consumed.

Eventually, the “popular” vote battle cry was bound to sink on its hysteria: losing BN Shah Alam candidate Zulkifli Noordin, formerly of Anwar’s legal team to fight his sodomy charges, crunched intriguing numbers that deflated the “popular” vote moralising.

Here’s how Zulkifli clarified total votes counted, starting from the biggest gainers:

Barisan: 5,237,699 or 46.53 per cent (133 seats); PKR: 2,254,328 or 20.03 per cent (30 seats); DAP: 1,736,267 or 15.42 per cent (38 seats); Pas: 1,633,389 or 14.51 per cent (21 seats); and, others: 192,904 or 1.71 per cent (no seats).

Zulkifli argued that Anwar’s claim that his troika won the “popular” vote is “twisted logic” on these aspects:

DAP-PKR-Pas axis contested on separate symbols of rocket, eye and moon without a unifying symbol like the BN’s “dacing” and further aggravated by its unregistered status; and, the “incentuous” battles where Pas and PKR fought each other but yet added the sum total as part of Pakatan’s “popular” vote.

The conclusions from these numbers are clear: Anwar’s troika plus scattered opposition votes were expediently counted as a unified entity when the reality is that the three conflicting parties merely put up a good show, no matter how dubious.

Seen from this discrete prism, PKR, DAP and Pas lost the so-called “popular” vote but are maladroitly re-inventing the rules to salvage their lost cause.

What is it then? A juvenile attempt at power grabbing by sheer determination and double-dealing. However, Anwar and the Lims are too vengeful to spot the hypocrisy and irony.

BN govt is umbrella for all Malaysians

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said today the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is aware of cracks in national unity and that some people feel marginalised and is committed in addressing the challenges.

The prime minister said the situation occurred due to a national polemic based on beliefs, race, political ideologies, urban and rural demographic and class.

The government is committed to creating a better future for all Malaysians.

He and his colleagues in the government recognise they carry the trust and responsibility of all Malaysians whether they support BN or not in the 13th general election (GE13) which saw BN return to form the federal government.

“Your Majesty’s government is the umbrella for all Malaysians,” he said in his congratulatory spech before Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah to mark his birthday and presentation of federal awards and medals at Istana Negara here.

The government, said the prime minister, will formulate a plan to strengthen national unity and repair national understanding and this requires the cooperation of all parties.

“It should be based on constructive dialogue at all levels and it should be the agenda of all parties to ensure its success.

“Certain parties are trying to dispute the results of GE13 which favoured BN by raising issues such as popular vote, use of indelible ink, claims of the presence of ‘phantom voters’ and the so-called power blackout during vote counting.”

Najib said it was very easy to deny and blame others but it will not solve any problems or unravel all the challenges facing Malaysia.

“The government urge all Malaysians to consider the togetherness factors that can unify us rather than seeing points that will trap us in nostalgia and past reality.”

The prime minister said the government is committed to creating a better future for all Malaysians.

“We dream of a Malaysia where people of all races and beliefs can live in peace and harmony without any suspicion, a progressive and prosperous Malaysia which has enough for all.”

Najib said he and his colleagues in the government will continue to defend, protect and preserve the constitutional principles, the rule of law, celebrate diversity, practice inclusiveness and put people first in its administration.

Najib: BN govt will embark on a national reconciliation process

KUALA LUMPUR: The Barisan Nasional government will embark on a national reconciliation process as part of a move to heal the racial and political divisions that have sparked in the wake of the 13th general election.

BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak said as the results continued to pour in, there was a need to address the rise in extremist sentiment that has affected the country’s unity.
“We (BN) are still trying to absorb the results, but we will be looking forward to reject political and racial extremism, and work towards a more moderate and accommodating environment,” he said after the Election Commission confirmed BN’s victory tonight.
At press time, the BN had secured a slim majority of 112 seats out of the 222 contested.
The Pakatan Rakyat opposition pact won 58 seats.

Najib renewed Malaysia's commitment to empower women

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak today renewed Malaysia's commitments to empower women following his re-election as prime minister.
Delivering the keynote address at the Women Deliver Global Conference 2013, Najib said every girl and woman, regardless of her religion, political affiliation, social status or location, deserved a safe, healthy and prosperous life.
"Our national, regional and global stability depend on it.
"When our girls and women are educated, healthy and independent, the benefits extend beyond individual freedom to prosperity and achievement," he said at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre this morning.

Investing In well-being of girls, women a smart move - Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said investing in girls' and women's education, health, safety, rights and financial independence not only pays but is also a smart investment.He said there were undeniable values in such investments as when girls and women were empowered, the benefits would extend beyond the individuals.

"Freed from the unnatural constraints of inequality, women can realise their potential as active participants in the community and in the world," he said.Addressing the 3rd Global Conference on Women Deliver 2013 here today, Najib spoke about the government's commitment to ensure that the health and well-being of girls and women in this country were viewed as priorities, not mere afterthoughts.

Najib noted that with the government's re-election came new and increased commitment to empower women and girls in an effort to drive the nation's development forward."Every girl and woman in Malaysia, regardless of her religion, political affiliation, social status or location, deserves a safe, healthy and prosperous life. Our national, regional and global stability depends on it," Najib said.

Present were his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is also patron of the conference, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim and Women Deliver president Jill Sheffield.

More than 3,000 delegates, including policymakers, advocates and international leaders representing over 150 countries, are attending the three-day conference beginning Tuesday.Malaysia is the first Asian country to be given the honour to host the global conference previously held in London and Washington D.C.

The event is touted as the largest global conference of the decade to focus on the health and well-being of girls and women. It is organised by Women Deliver which is headquartered in New York.

Najib said as Malaysia strove to become a developed nation by the end of the decade, the challenge was to ensure that the country's economic growth was truly inclusive with opportunities created and open to all citizens, and women were afforded the same rights, respect and opportunities as men.

"That will not happen from the top-down, change must come in the workplace, in the villages, in the mind of all Malaysians," he said.He noted that health advocates and experts must be ready to engage in dialogue with faith leaders to dispel negative perceptions on matters pertaining to girls' and women's health.

Women and girls, he said, must be empowered to make informed choices and take personal responsibility for their health within a social fabric that encouraged it.The prime minister said problems like teenage pregnancies, abandoned babies, early marriage and sexually transmitted infections must be addressed without stigma or discrimination.

"This will sometimes require a change in mindset, a willingness to look again at our approach, to ask ourselves whether we're doing all we can to put girls' and women's health first," he said.He stressed the importance of educating girls on their health and well-being which he believed would further lower maternal mortality and morbidity rates, help halt the spread of diseases including HIV and AIDS as well as improve child health and nutrition.

Investing in universal education without gender discrimination had yielded results beyond expectations, but the challenge for Malaysia, as for many other countries, was to ensure that success in the classroom carried over into life outside it, he added.

Najib: Women still under represented in workforce and politics

KUALA LUMPUR (May 28): While Malaysia has seen significant results from its efforts towards becoming an equitable nation, women still remain under represented in both politics and the workforce, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.In his keynote address at the Women Deliver Global Conference 2013 here, Najib highlighted Malaysia’s achievements in areas of education and maternal health care and services.

Malaysia has one of the lowest maternal mortality ratios in the region, having slashed its maternal mortality rate by 45% from 53 per 1000,000 in 1990 to 29 per 100,000 in 2010.“It is my hope that countries still lagging behind in meeting the 5th Millennium Development Goal will be able to learn from our experience,” Najib told the audience of royalty, dignitaries and global advocates and experts.

Present were his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is also patron of the conference, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim and Women Deliver president Jill Sheffield.
“We stand ready to provide technical support to countries with persistently high maternal mortality,” said Najib.

The former Women, Family and Community Development Minister also pointed out that Malaysia’s investment in universal education without gender discrimination has yielded results “beyond expectations”.
“A girl at school in Malaysia today is more likely to go to university than her male classmates,” he said to applause from the audience.

“Today 65% of students enrolled in tertiary education are women. Consider this in light of what happened to Malala Yousafzai who dared to dream of having access to education."Malala, a Pakistani teenager and the youngest nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, last year survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban who were trying to stop her championing of education for girls.

However, Najib added, Malaysia’s challenge is to now ensure that such opportunities for girls and women do not narrow in the real world.Malaysian women make up 49% of the population and the electorate but only 47% of the country’s workforce.

The government has since committed itself to ensuring that women hold at least 30% of decision-making positions in the public and private sectors by 2016.“Women are still not equally represented in the workforce,” he stated. “Female labour participation which is currently at 47% must be improved if we want to continue seeing robust and sustainable growth.”

For this to happen, he said, more jobs aligned to women’s needs should be offered to encourage their participation in the workforce such as through home-based, part-time or flexible working hours.His administration aims to encourage this shift with reforms under the Economic Transformation Programme which is targeting an increase in female labour participation and the number of women on public listed company boards to 55% and 30% respectively.

“Furthermore, if we want to see equally sustainable democracy it is clear that we must increase women’s political participation,” Najib stated.“I am encouraged by the active and visible role taken by some women in our national politics. But I believe it is incumbent upon us to find out why women are under-represented in Malaysia’s political discourse.”

The recently concluded GE13 saw 23 women elected at parliamentary level and 57 women elected at state level.In total, women politicians now represent 11% of the country’s parliamentary and state seats which is still lower than the 30% target of the United Nations Committee on the Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).