Only BN can guarantee prosperity, Najib tells Chinese

By Yow Hong Chieh

February 18, 2012

Najib shakes hands with attendees during his arrival at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Crossroads” conference in Kuala Lumpur, February 18, 2011. — Picture by Jack Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — The Chinese have benefited from Barisan Nasional’s (BN) pro-business policies but will keep thriving only if they lend support to the ruling coalition, the prime minister said today.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the Chinese had prospered under BN rule owing to their hard work and “strategic position” in the economy, pointing out that many of Malaysia’s richest tycoons — who have a “licence to print money” via concession agreements — came from the community.

“You are very, very entrepreneurial, certainly compared to the Bumis. You are very industrious. You work hard. Some of you are thrifty but you’re rich because you’re thrifty. And you know how to do business.

“And if you have a government that believes in growth, (there will be) great opportunities. Tell me who will benefit? You will benefit,” he said in his keynote address at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Crossroads” conference here.

But Najib stressed that the Chinese will continue to do well economically only if the country remained stable, which he said would only happen if there was no change in government and BN stayed in power.

“If this country is in the state of disorder and even uncertainty — don’t talk about chaos — your shares will plummet.”

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