Najib makes another plea for votes

He again promises 'real change and reforms'.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Razak today pleaded for votes for Barisan Nasional, promising “real change in reforms” in the country’s governance.

He said the nation’s “journey to transformation” would be successful only if voters continued to support BN.

“I need your mandate when the time comes,” he said in his opening speech at the 2012 Malaysiaku Expo here, an event billed as a showcase of Malaysia’s success story under BN’s rule.

“We can bring real change and reforms to this country. For that to happen I need your support.”

With polls looming, Najib has lately been harping on the opposition’s inexperience, telling voters to avoid endangering the country’s progress by voting into power a loose pact with an unproven record.

Analysts say the tone of his recent speeches underlines the concerns he has over the threat the opposition poses as the 13th general election nears.

Today the BN chairman again said the coalition’s 52-year rule had made the country a “success story”.

He claimed that it was because of the “wisdom” of the governing party that Malaysia had turned from an agriculture-based economy into one thriving on knowledge and heading towards the achievement of a high-income status.

“If you ask me what made us a success story, I would say it is because of the political leadership we have,” he said. “It has displayed wisdom in its decisions.”

Not everyone shares Najib’s sentiments. Many analysts are saying that the economic future is not as rosy as he paints it and the Malaysian public is growing impatient. Wages are stagnant while the cost of living has soared over the years.

The prime minister today admitted that Malaysia was facing the toughest phase of its journey towards becoming a rich economy.

“We are now in the middle-income trap,” he said. “This last phase of the journey will be the most challenging for us.”

Opposition leaders have been saying that Najib’s policies are putting Malaysia in the wrong direction, with some pointing to what they say is the absence of much-needed fiscal reforms announcements from his Budget 2013 speech.

The coming general election is expected to be toughest yet for BN, but pundits predict it will retain power, though not with a strong mandate.

Observers say Najib may be seeking to overturn the prediction by rolling out a budget targeted towards key constituents.