Najib Not Worried About Personal Attacks By Opposition

KUALA LUMPUR -- Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he is not worried over the personal attacks launched by the opposition against him.

Describing the attacks as normal in politics, the prime minister said his attackers were not in any better situation themselves.

He was speaking to reporters after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting at Menara Dato Onn, here Friday night.

Asked on the issue of leakage of government information, Najib said the government strived to stop that from happening but in a borderless world, it was not an easy thing to do.

On the Felda issue, he said all of the opposition's allegations would be answered in the Dewan Rakyat sitting next week.

"The allegations are not true...it will be answered in Parliament next week. Datuk Ahmad Maslan (Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department) has all the facts. (What the opposition has been saying) is a complete distortion of the facts," he said.

When asked whether he would issue an order to halt the Lynas rare earth plant project while waiting for the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on the project to convene its sessions, Najib said: "They are not proceeding with it. Let the PSC deliberate on the issue."

On Thursday, Najib said that the government would not allow the Lynas project in Gebeng, Kuantan, Pahang to operate should there be scientific evidence that it would be detrimental to health and pollute the environment.

Asked to comment on if Australia's proposed asylum seeker swap deal with Malaysia was back on the agenda, the prime minister said he did not have any latest information on the matter.

"The ball is very much in their court. I cannot comment...it is up to them to deliver their side of the bargain."

Australia's new Foreign Minister Bob Carr on Thursday night said that the proposed asylum seeker swap deal with Malaysia was back on the agenda as Parliament debates legislation to amend the Migration Act.

-- BERNAMA