Early signs of restored faith in BN, claims Najib

Reinvigorated or sinking?

PHNOM PENH - Malaysians are recovering their faith in Barisan Nasional as the government starts to deliver on electoral promises and other pledges, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said on Thursday.

The Prime Minister said there were early indications of a positive response from the people to government initiatives to meet their needs and expectations.

"As we begin to deliver on electoral promises and on stated commitments, our credibility is strengthened in the eyes of the public," he said in his keynote address at the 6th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties here.

"The final judgment of whether or not we have met the expectations of the people will only be known from the results of the next general election," he added.

The meeting was attended by the leaders of 317 Asian political parties in the government and opposition from 51 countries.

Najib stressed the need to deliver and be seen to deliver as he drew lessons from the BN experience of the last several years when it lost considerable support and strived to regain the people's trust.

In the 2008 general election, he told the assembly, BN for the first time in history lost five states to the opposition and its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Najib said that his first order of business when taking over the helm of the country in April 2009 was to put in place the "People First, Performance Now" commitment under the overarching 1Malaysia banner.

Since then, the BN government has launched 1Malaysia clinics to provide free medical assistance and services and 1Malaysia scholarships for excellent students regardless of race or religion, he added.

Later, responding to questions from reporters, Najib said that early indications that BN was regaining the confidence of the people were all the more reason for the coalition to strive harder rather than relax.

Asked whether the indications would affect the timing of the next general election, he said: "They are not early signs (of a general election) but it can be early or late. That's normal."

-- BERNAMA