I don't want politics of polarisation: Najib

"I want to become a prime minister for all Malaysians."

PUTRAJAYA, April 2 (Sin Chew Daily) -- Well aware of a general tilt towards the opposition among Chinese Malaysians, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak continues to show his goodwill to the Chinese community because he said the country's politics should not evolve towards one of polarisation in the future.

"It's a sad thing if it really has to go down this way (political polarisation), as this will trigger a whole lot more problems in a multiracial country like ours."

Najib pointed out during an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily at the Prime Minister's Office here that Chinese Malaysians should support BN in forming a strong and stable multiracial government so that the country could be led towards unprecedented stability and peace, which would in turn lift the national economy.

"I believe we have the ability to fulfill these objectives if BN is given a powerful mandate in the coming general elections."

The Prime Minister believes there is a "very high percentage" of Chinese voters still undecided over which party to vote for, and that these are the people BN could try to approach.

He said BN still had time to approach these undecided voters to lobby for their support, adding that he believed not all Chinese Malaysians were against the government, and that many of them actually intended to support the government.

"As for those who have already made up their minds, there is nothing much we can do, but we hope the support for BN from the Chinese community will improve."

The latest electoral rolls show that there are 3,944,645 Chinese voters in the country, or about 29.68% of all voters.

He said during his encounters with the Chinese community, he had the opportunity to learn about their expectations and needs, and receive their feedback on various government policies.

PM for all

Najib said he showed various friendly gestures to the Chinese community during the recent Chinese New Year because he wanted to become the prime minister for all Malaysians, not just for Umno or the Malays, and that this had been reflected in his willingness to establish closer contacts with the Chinese community and respect their culture.

"It was important for me to show different kinds of gestures from previous years when the second largest ethnic group in the country was celebrating its most important festival. I always advocate the incorporation of moderation into Malaysians' way of living and government policies. We must strive to transcend all obstacles when approaching the Chinese community."

He said the Chinese community appreciated his kind gestures and that he was encouraged by the positive reactions and responses from the community. He hoped this "positive factor" could stay through the election.

"I am not only concerned about the general elections, but building up this entire nation as well. So I need to hold out my hands to reach out to all Malaysians."

(Source: http://www.mysinchew.com)