Najib (right) with his mother Tun Rahah and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (left) admiring the photos at the exhibition during the Special Commemorative Seminar on Tun Abdul Razak. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said, in facing the challenges of today, the country needs a leadership team in the party and Cabinet that has a similar and strong direction with mutual trust.
“As such when we all the institutions together with the country’s leadership, we can move even faster and more confidently to meet all the objectives of our struggle,” he said in the Selamat Pagi 1Malaysia exclusive programme titled ‘Mengenang Tun Razak’ (Remembering Tun Razak) aired live here yesterday.
Najib said this when asked if he wanted a good team and undivided support of the Cabinet and people as was the case of his late father Tun Abdul Razak when he was Malaysia’s second Prime Minister from Sept 22, 1970 until his death on Jan 14, 1976 due to leukemia at the age of 53 years.
Abdul Razak took over the premiership from Tunku Abdul Rahman when the country had just recovered from a state of emergency after the tragedy of racial riots on May 13, 1969.
Touching on his father’s aspirations and struggles for Malaysia, Najib said Abdul Razak wanted big changes for the country and did not want to see the people struggling in poverty and wanted it to be on par with developed countries.
“Even in his 1976 New Year address, Abdul Razak was confident that if the 12 million Malaysians at that time was united and determined to live in peace and freedom, no power anywhere can resist the will and wishes of the people, which is relevant until now,” he said.
“The principle of his struggle is not outdated. Our struggle is still far and takes a long time,” he said, adding that it was important for the later generations to continue the struggle that had been initiated by former leaders which was started by the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, Abdul Razak and so on.
“We bring our country towards greater success, thats the best way for us to remember our past leaders who had contributed so much for us.
“We develop what they have built, we bring it to a higher level,” Najib said. He also recalled that his late father was a leader who talked less but worked hard and was very productive.
“He (Abdul Razak) was not like certain leaders who made all kinds of statements at every opportunity. But he focused more on results and action and, as such, he left behind many legacies,” he said. — Bernama