Monday January 28, 2013

Najib: Top investors view country positively amid global gloom

By JOSEPH SIPALAN
jsipalan@thestar.com.my

A hero’s welcome: Thousands of well-wishers welcoming Najib home at KLIA. — Bernama

PUTRAJAYA: Top investors from around the world view Malaysia as a “bright spot” amidst global financial uncertainty, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the country attracted overwhelming support at the recently concluded World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

“The Malaysia Night we hosted there was met with an extraordinary reception.

“We had expected only 400 to attend, instead 1,000 influential people turned up.

“In a global climate of uncertainty, they said Malaysia is one of few countries that they consider to be a bright spot,” he said when addressing thousands of people who had turned up at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to welcome him home yesterday.

The crowd had gathered at the Bunga Raya Complex as early as 9am to welcome Najib, his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and the Malaysian delegation back from their tour of Gaza and the WEF.

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and other Barisan Nasional leaders.

Recounting his visit to the Gaza Strip earlier last week, Najib said he saw first-hand the suffering of the Palestinians at the hands of Israel, most notably the aftermath of the eight-day strike on the area in November last year.

“People are living in cramped conditions and poverty, and after the eight-day siege they have suffered through a tremendous amount of destruction and loss of life.

“My wife visited a hospital where many children suffer from leukaemia due to bombs packed with uranium elements, which were the cause of leukaemia in these innocent children,” he said.

Najib emphasised that his visit to Gaza was on humanitarian grounds and to relay Malaysia's unyielding support in securing security and sovereignty for a Palestinian state and human rights for its citizens.

He noted, however, that this was only possible if Palestine's two political factions, the Fatah and Hamas, could cooperate and unite to achieve this common cause.

“My visit was on humanitarian grounds, not to interfere or support one side.

“I sent them the message, that if they do not unite and form a unity government between Fatah and Hamas, then they will not have a future.

“This is the reality that they must accept, and if this happens, then they will achieve success because the foundation of everything is unity. This is the same lesson for us in Malaysia,” he said.

News

Monday January 28, 2013

Najib: Top investors view country positively amid global gloom

By JOSEPH SIPALAN jsipalan@thestar.com.my

By JOSEPH SIPALAN
jsipalan@thestar.com.my