Govt learns from mistakes for progress of nation, says Najib

He urges people to be prudent in evaluating their future, warning not to fall for populist policies in Pakatan Harapan manifesto.

AFP pic

IPOH: The existing government under the Barisan Nasional may not be the perfect administration but it always learns from its mistakes to carve out more successes for the progress of the nation, said Prime Minister Najib Razak.

He said that despite being deluged with all kinds of allegations, BN would continue to defend parliamentary democracy and the Federal Constitution as the basis of power to administer the country.

“Some opposition politicians say I am cruel. I wish to ask, who was involved in the ‘Ops Lalang’ operation and imprisoned hundreds of people under the Internal Security Act?

“Also, is it logical for the country to be led by a 93-year-old man? Surely we do not want the future of our country to be gambled away,” he said.

Najib said he did not say that the present government had no weaknesses but both the federal and state governments (under BN) would learn from the weaknesses and mistakes so that the country could continue to progress.

“The Westerners talk about ingredients. We have them all,” he said at the fourth edition of the “2018 Budget with Civil Servants” programme at the Kolej Sains Kesihatan Bersekutu, Tanjung Rambutan, 12km from here, to share the country’ s successes and explain the various policies of the government.

Najib, who is Umno president and BN chairman, said the people should be prudent in evaluating their future.

He said they should realise that the pledges contained in the opposition Pakatan Harapan manifesto for the 14th general election would only increase the national debt with the proposed abolition of road toll collection and the goods and services tax (GST).

“When we abolish all these, the debts will rise, the country will lose income and everything will collapse. Finally, the people will suffer.

“That’s why their manifesto is referred to as the ‘promise of poisonous honey’.

“Look at Selangor. What’s the point of providing free water when there’s no water?

“This is the result of having populist policies to win votes but not being able to bear the consequences,” Najib said. - FMT