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: Malaysia’s investment in education without gender discrimination has yielded results

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's investment in education, without gender discrimination, has yielded results beyond the Government's expectation, said the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.Speaking at the 3rd Global Conference on Women Deliver 2013, Najib said 65 percent of students in institutions of tertiary educations here are women.

"A girl at school in Malaysia today is more likely to go to University than her male classmates."Although we have the same number of girls and boys enrolled in school, higher education rates are greater for women," he said on Tuesday.

However, he agreed that enrolment was only the first step."For Malaysia, as for many countries, the challenge is to ensure that success in the classroom carries over into life outside it, that the world of opportunity for girls and women does not narrow upon graduation, but opens up," he said, adding that women were not equally represented in the country's workforce, currently standing at 47 percent.

"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," he said in his speech.Citing several Malaysian women he described as superstar players including Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Najib said their successes showed the country in its best light.

"I know that a few superstar players do not mean that the field is level."We have taken clear steps towards a more equitable nation in education, healthcare and in wage equality but there is still much more to be done," he said.

Speaking about the country's successes in the development of and empowerment of women, Najib pointed out that Malaysia had made great progress in of maternal healthcare."Thanks to strategic, focused and targeted interventions, thousands of women and children in Malaysia are able to survive and enjoy a good quality of life," he said, adding that Malaysia was prepared to provide technical support to countries with persistently high maternal mortality.He also called on health advocates and experts to engage with faith leaders to dispel negative perceptions, which stand in the way of women empowerment.

Malaysia sets date for landmark elections

The date for Malaysia's highly anticipated polls, which are expected to be the closest in the country's history, has been set, the head of the country's electoral watchdog has announced.

Malaysia's general election is to be held on May 5, Aziz Yusof, the Election Commission chairman, said on Wednesday.

Yusof said balloting would be preceded by a two-week official campaign period kicking off on April 20.

The general elections will determine whether Prime Minister Najib Razak's governing coalition, can extend nearly 56 years of uninterrupted rule and prevail over an opposition alliance that accuses it of corruption and authoritarianism.

The opposition Peoples' Alliance, led by Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy minister won five of Malaysia's 13 states in 2008 and stands a strong chance of toppling the coalition.Ibrahim however is calling for faster political and economic reform and has pledged to tackle government authoritarianism and corruption.

He has promised tax cuts, an increase in subsidies and to address complaints of discrimination against minority ethnic Chinese and Indians. 

About 13.3 million Malaysians will be eligible to cast ballots to fill 222 seats in the federal parliament and to choose representatives for 12 state legislatures.The National Front won 2008 polls with less than a two-thirds parliamentary majority in its worst electoral performance since independence from Britain in 1957.

Vote For BN This Election

   The real changes and progress taking place in Malaysia since independence proves that the country is in good hands when Barisan Nasional (BN) becomes the government.Vote For BN