1Malaysia Is A Philosophy, Not A Mere Slogan, Says Malaysian PM Najib

SERI KEMBANGAN (Malaysia), Dec 19 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Tun Razak said Sunday that 1Malaysia is a philosophy and not a mere slogan, stressing that it can transform the mindset of Malaysians towards building the country into a highly-developed nation by 2020. He said that if Malaysians understood what was needed to hold the country together, they would realise the importance of giving continuous support to the government which had long and proven experience in building the nation. "I believe we can achieve prosperity and become a strong country if all Malaysians embrace the notion of the 1Malaysia philosophy," he said in his speech at the ground-breaking ceremony of the Federation of Chinese Association Malaysia's (Hua Zong) new building, here. The RM55 million (US$1=RM3.18) project, expected to be completed in two years, comprises a Chinese museum, library, reading room, information and research rooms, meeting rooms, a conference hall and a multi-purpose banquet hall. The prime minister also announced RM5 million in government contribution for the project, of which RM2.5 million will be made available next year and the balance in 2013. The prime minister also said that the government had agreed in principles with Hua Zong's request that tax exemption benefits be extended to those who had donated funds the project. Najib also said Malaysia was facing a long journey and that "to reach our next destination, we need to have long-term policies that can benefit people from all walks of life." "We cannot have short-term policies; we cannot promise the sun, moon and the galaxy. "It is the responsibility of the government to stay on course and to continue helping the people. As one nation, 1Malaysia, it gives us the strength to overcome future challenges," he said. The prime minister said the government's long-term policies had been proven to be effective in helping Malaysia face the economic crises of 1997 and 2009. "The journey has been very challenging and filled with obstacles but each time we face a major crisis, we manage to overcome it because we have confidence in the way the government tackles it. "This is also due to the people supporting the policies of the government which have brought about stability and prosperity in the country," he said. -- BERNAMA