NAJIB : NATIONAL UNITY IS A CHALLENGING ISSUE

SOURCE : THE STAR
DATE : 19/1/2017

PETALING JAYA : The issue of unity among Malaysians is very challenging one and is not easily resolved in a short period of time, said Datuk Seri Najib Tn Razak on Thursday.

"In Malaysia we live in harmony, we have tolerance. But we are still compartmentalized,' he said during a dialogue session at the launching of 2050 National Transformation (TN50) roadmap at Universiti Malaya (UM)

The Prime Minister said it would be difficult to do justice to the issue of unity within a short period of time.

"It relates to something I said before about moments of unity. When Datuk Lee Ching Wei and the Olympians (were competing), we were all cheering together. Now I even see in UM, Malay students together, Chinese students together, Indian students together. But we live in harmony. It is not an ideal situation, but it is something we can live with," he said.

Najib was responding to the suggestions of participant, oil and gas worker Shahril Hamdan, 31, who wanted to see a stronger national identity that was independent of ethnic identity.

On the topic of education, Najib said the country needed a system that taught students to get jobs that did not exist currently.

"We have to look at new types of jobs. What do we want? We want scientists, data professionals," he said.

Najib also said that the government would have to focus more on the digital economy as it was the only sector that could give the country double-digit growth.

The TN50 policy document will outline the economic, social, cultural and environmental targets Malaysia aims to achieve by 2050

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SUMMARY

1) Unity

• What is 2050 National Transformation?
  - A series of the national discourse on TN50 would encourage ideas, public participation and focus in preparing the nation to achieve what we are aspired to be in the next three decades.
  - This idea was introduced by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
• Prime Minister opinions' regarding this issue
  - In Malaysia we live in harmony, we have tolerance. But we are still compartmentalized.
  - It is difficult to do justice to the issue of unity within a short period of time
  - see a stronger national identity that was independent of the ethnic identity

2) Education

• Be a job creator, not a job seeker.
• Focus more on digital economy