In youths, Najib looks for shield against Pakatan

Najib (centre) gestures during his speech at the youth assembly in Putrajaya, May 28, 2011. — Picture by Choo Choy May

PUTRAJAYA, May 28 — The prime minister called on youths gathered here for the Million Youths Assembly today to defend Putrajaya from the opposition if they wished to see Malaysia transformed into a developed country.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said it was heartening to know that youths here had come together to show support for his administration, in contrast to the popular uprising in Egypt which led to the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak.

“If in Egypt one million youths gathered in Tahrir Square to change that country’s leadership... in Malaysia, one million youths gathered to defend Putrajaya,” he said.

“Are you willing to defend Putrajaya?” he asked repeatedly, to cheers from the 8,000-strong crowd.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin told reporters earlier that total visitors to the assembly had surpassed the one million mark today.

Najib, sporting a red cap, stressed that the government will not succeed in its ambitious transformation programmes without help from young Malaysians.

“Some call me the Father of Transformation; I don’t know [if the description is accurate], but you all are the catalysts of change,” he said.

“If the youths are with the government, our country will be peaceful and we can continue to make our country prosper,” he said.

The prime minister pointed out that the future of the nation’s youths, in turn, depended on the government’s transformation programmes but assured the flag-waving crowd that his administration would work hard to fulfil their aspirations while safeguarding long-term prosperity.

He promised next year’s National Youth Day celebration will be even bigger, and said he expected two million youths to turn up then.