SEPANG: Today’s Barisan Nasional (BN) government is the government for the young people as all policies and plans, including the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) initiative, were designed to fit the lives of young Malaysians and to safeguard their future, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.
Najib, who is also the BN chairman, said a leader’s responsibility was not just to play politics or to make long-term and populist policies, but to formulate policies that would fulfill the dreams of the young people.
“We have to formulate policies based on a vision and a huge concept to fulfill the dream, aspiration, ambition and also the hope of the young people.
“If our country continues to be led by BN government, the dreams of the young people will be fulfilled,” he said when officiating the closing of the Malaysia 4B Youth Movement Day celebration at Kampung Ulu Chuchuh, here today.
He said 80,000 aspirations of young Malaysians had been collected so far and would be filtered and merged as the basis for the formulation of the TN50 blueprint.
The prime minister said various initiatives had been designed by the BN government for the young people, including the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme which would be launched soon, as well as the Youth Parliament and the Youth City.
“The Youth City will be established in three states, with the first to be in Tanjung Malim, Perak. If BN wins in Selangor, then we can have one in Selangor,” he said to the applause of the crowd.
Najib said today’s government was also open to public opinion, including from the young people, and that had been one of the factors he abolished the Internal Security Act (ISA) after being appointed as the Prime Minister on April 3, 2009.
“It is because we do not want our society to be controlled and scared by the leader who is deemed dictator or autocratic.
“Everything must be done according to the legal process. If it is wrong, let the court decide,” he said.
Najib said his government had been implementing policies that provide civil liberties so that the people would be more open in voicing out their opinions and criticisms.
However, he said the people should be responsible by making criticisms based on facts and not a mere fabrication, such as the allegation about the presence of 40,000 Bangladeshi voters in the last general election.
“If we had cheated, BN would not have lost in Selangor, Penang and Kelantan. We didn’t cheat. We formed the government based on the votes we received from the people,” he said.
At the event attended by over 10,000 youths from across the country, Najib also launched the 4B Youth – Friend of BN machinery, which will be deployed to help the party in the 14th general election.
Also present were Urban Wellbeing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar, who is also Selangor BN chairman, and Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron. — BERNAMA