By Shannon Teoh
KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak called on Malaysians tonight not to switch to a “dangerous” government in coming polls after his administration claimed it had exceeded last year’s targets for its transformation plans.
The prime minister reminded voters in a live televised address that “we need a capable driver that can streamline all factors to ensure the vehicle arrives at its destination at the appointed time safely.”
“Don’t experiment by changing a driver that has proven his ability in the middle of the journey, replacing him with a driver that raises doubt and is dangerous,” he said.
The Umno president said that his Barisan Nasional (BN) government has always been honest about what it can achieve unlike “other parties who promise the moon, stars and universe without thinking of the effects.”
“They have never been consistent between what they practice and their rhetoric,” he said.
Putrajaya said in its Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) report tonight that it had exceeded private investment targets by 13 per cent to hit RM94 billion last year, helping Malaysia on its way towards a gross national income of RM830 billion, which is four per cent higher than targeted.
It also said “the majority of ministries met and even exceeded” key performance indices set for them under the Government Transformation Programme last year.
Najib must lead BN into elections for the first time by May 2013, with Pakatan Rakyat (PR) insisting it is ready to take over federal power.
The opposition coalition made record gains in Election 2008, winning 82 federal seats to deny BN its customary two-thirds supermajority in Parliament and five state governments.