KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he is very pleased with the results of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) although there was a great deal of scepticism when it was first launched.
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
He said the government had been pleasantly surprised that the targets had been achieved, and in some cases, they had even been surpassed.
“This is a wonderful testament to the commitment shown by the civil service,” he said in an interview, published in the latest issue of the Malaysian Business magazine, conducted by its Editor-in-Chief, Datuk A Kadir Jasin, Editor Charles Raj and News Editor Gurmeet Kaur.
The prime minister said the results to date were very encouraging and that “much of what we promised has been delivered.”
“Undoubtedly, some goals require a longer time period. For example, while there have been some improvements in urban transportation, with increased ridership on the LRT (light rail transit), construction of the new MRT (mass rail transit) will take time,” he said.
Najib said “the building blocks are in place to, firstly, alleviate congestion and improve what we currently have and, secondly, to implement the MRT system.”
He also said that members of the International Performance Review Committee, comprising public service experts from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Russia and Singapore had commended the work and results achieved by the government so far.
“This year, we will continue to have public engagements with the rakyat to seek their feedback on possible new areas of focus,” he said.
On what the latest review of the six National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) had shown, Najib said over a period of 12 months (January-December 2010), the efforts were already showing positive results.
The crime index has dropped by 15 per cent and street crime is down by 35 per cent.
This has been made possible with the mobilisation of more than 14,000 police officers to 50 crime hotspots.
In addition, close to 5,000 Rela (Peopleís Volunteer Corps) and JPAM (Civil Defence Force) members were deployed to the hotspots.
The prime minister said a survey conducted by Transparency International (TI) Global Corruption Barometer 2010 showed a marked improvement in the public’s perception of government efforts in fighting graft.
“It showed that 48 per cent of Malaysians think government efforts on corruption are effective.
“This is an increase from 28 per cent in 2009.
“In some areas, we have exceeded the targets. For pre-school enrolment, for example, we set up 1,500 new pre-school classes with an enrolment of 55,056 children.
“Hardcore poverty has been reduced to just 0.2 per cent through improving the income levels of more than 44,600 hardcore poor households.”
Efforts to improve urban transport have also shown positive results, with LRT ridership increasing by 2.43 million.
In the rural areas too, various projects such as provision of clean water, electricity, rural roads and building and restoration of houses for the poor, have benefited some two million people.
“These achievements have been due to the combined effort of government officers at all levels. It goes to show that the civil servants are capable of meeting ‘impossible targets’ with detailed programmes,” said Najib, adding that a document outlining the achievements would be published in keeping with the pledge to be transparent.
The prime minister said as many civil servants were involved in the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) Labs, which drew up the targets, “they are now keen to see that they deliver on their plans and promises.”
“They have been enthusiastic and diligent in ensuring that the targets are achieved.
The civil service has been very receptive to the changes that have been introduced with the GTP,” he said.
The prime minister said the targets and goals outlined had helped galvanise members of the civil service to deliver on the promises.
“The GTP has proven to be a major catalyst and a benchmark for the civil service to work harder and as a team for the benefit of the rakyat,” he added.
He also said that ministers had their individual Ministerial Key Result Areas (MKRAs) focused on delivering improved services to the people and achieving the targets that had been set for them.
On some of challenges faced by the government and how it is overcoming them, Najib said: “Public scepticism and doubts are among the greatest challenges.
“We have to work hard to deliver the results promised.”
“Once they see the benefits of improved public transport, greater transparency, lower crime rate, they will be convinced that the government means what it says.
“The government also does not disregard negative views. We make an effort to address and reply to as many queries as possible.
Pemandu continues to address the complaints and reach out.
Some success has been achieved, with some naysayers and sceptics beginning to appreciate the results that have been achieved.” — Bernama