Friday May 15, 2009
I want to be the people’s PM, says Najib
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has voiced his preference to forgo formalities and instead be on the ground to understand the reality and needs of the people.
“I want to be the people’s Prime Minister. I am with the people and I will always be with them.
Plain talk: Najib speaking to workers at the public sector Workers Day gathering at Putrajaya yesterday. - Bernama “I do not want formalities like the red carpet and bunga manggar or even media coverage (but) I want to see the rakyat,” he said.
He said looking at the real situation would give him a better understanding than just listening to briefings inside air-conditioned rooms.
This, he said, was why he started his walkabouts like the one to the Puduraya bus terminal recently where he got to see the actual condition of the facility that was used daily by so many people.
Addressing the public sector Workers Day gathering here yesterday, Najib said he also wanted to revive the close relationship that existed between public servants and those in the government administration during the time when his father Tun Abdul Razak Hussein was prime minister.
“My father even knew the names of all the district officers and their fathers. I know this is not possible now with the over 1.2 million public servants but I want to have the closeness he shared with the staff,” he said.
Najib also said that he liked reading “Letters to the Editor” published in newspapers.
“Recently, I came across one letter praising the Immigration Department for its efficiency in issuing passports within an hour,” he said, adding however, that the next day another letter highlighted the terrible state of the toilet.
Najib announced that the Government would consider offering promotions through a personal-to-holder basis to 176,066 support group officers who had been serving in their employment grade for 15 years or more.
“Also from July 1, a total of 20,637 public servants will benefit from a government effort to draft two new employment schemes and upgrade eight existing schemes,” he said.
He said the government decision, which would cost RM170.4mil, was in recognition of the hard work put in by public servants.
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