Healthcare system is rapidly changing: PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the healthcare system in Malaysia was rapidly changing in line with the government's 2020 Vision.

Speaking at the opening of the Hospital Engineering International Conference and Exhibition 2013 here this morning, Najib said Malaysia had progressively taken steps to improve the healthcare facility and engineering services. 
             
He said: "Our initiative of privatising hospital support services has successfully improved the quality of hospital support services in public hospitals.                   

"This has in turn set the benchmark for the private sector to emulate".             

Najib said this had resulted in the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognising the provision of clinical waste management services in Malaysia as among the best in developing countries and comparable to those in developed countries.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak meeting participants after officiating the Hospital Engineering International Conference and Exhibition.

(Source: http://www.nst.com.my)

Najib to unveil policies to increase bumi participation in economy

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak s expected to announce on Saturday policies to increase bumiputras' participation in the country's economic sector.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar said among the issues to be touched on by the prime minister are equity and property ownership by bumiputras and human capital development.

He said the government had collected information from government agencies and non-governmental organisations on the measures to take to strengthen bumiputras' involvement in the nation's economic sector.

"We've compiled the feedback and have forwarded them to the prime minister. The prime minister will announce the measures to be taken at a function on Saturday,."

"The policies will take into account issues that were deliberated in-depth at the Bumiputra Agenda Action Council meeting recently," he told a media conference today.

M'sia-S'pore high-speed rail link 'engagement process' to be completed by Q4

Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato Sri' Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak attending the MoU signing ceremony between SPAD's chief executive officer, Mohd Nur Ismail Mohamed Kamal with Institute Rail Signal Engineers president David Weedon at the KL Convention Centre on Sept. 10, 2013.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is aiming to complete the engagement process with Singapore for the construction of the KL-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) link by the fourth quarter of this year, said the Land Public Transport Commission’s (SPAD) chief executive officer Mohd Nur Kamal.

“We are just starting the engagement process with Singapore. The negotiations will start soon.

“We are targeting to (complete) somewhere between the third and fourth quarters of this year,” he said.

When asked at a press conference at Rail Business Asia 2013 if the HSR would be impacted by the Government’s pending plans to keep the country’s expenditure in check, Mohd Nur said: “As of the current information we have received, we do not expect it to be impacted by that (reduction in expenditure).”

SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, meanwhile, said that it was still “too early” to talk about dishing out tenders or project costs, as the finalisation of key details of the HSR project was still pending.

“If everything remains the same, then we are still targeting for it to be completed by 2020,” he said.

Najib prays for Malaysia Haj pilgrims well being

KUALA LUMPUR : Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he was praying for the well-being of Malaysia's Haj pilgrims during their pilgrimage in the Holy Land today.

In a Twitter post, the prime minister advised the pilgrims to adhere to the regulations imposed by the Saudi Arabian government and to safeguard Malaysia's good name and image. 

A total of 22,320 Malaysians will be going to the Holy Land in batches for the Haj pilgrimage this year. 

The number is fewer by 20 per cent than last year's as the Saudi Arabian government has reduced the quota of pilgrims from every country. 

The first batch of Malaysian pilgrims, comprising 450 people, landed at the Prince Mohamed Abdul Aziz International Airport in Madinah last Saturday. -- BERNAMA

(Source: http://www.nst.com.my)

Change of mindset needed: PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said there needs to be a change of mindset when regional and global powers draft policies concerning the environment.

He said authority figures must understand instinctively that sacrificing natural resources for short term benefit would undermine any long-term investment,  thus put a stop to any sustainable development.

He said the world may be trying to balance development with environmental preservation, but it was was important for authorities to look at the wellbeing of the environment as it related directly to health, and the people.

“We will not return to a simple reverence for nature; the pressures of development and population are to great for that. But we can and must inculcate a new respect for our environment. Our people and our planet depend on it,” said Najib when opening the Third Ministerial Meeeting of the Regional Forum on Environment and Health in Southeast and East Asian Countries, here today.

Najib cited an example of an unscrupulous timber contractor who may indiscriminately fall a centuries-old Cengal for the sake of profit without factoring how long a time the tree takes to grow to be fully matured. “Our local Cengal tree, like the California’s redwoods, may take centuries to reach its humongous size. 

(Source: http://www.nst.com.my)

Najib: Environment and health issues must be given priority

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is actively trying to strike a balance between environmental conservation and economic development, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The Prime Minister said this was not an easy path for developing countries, noting that they were often more exposed and vulnerable to environmental threats.

"Integrating economic, health and environmental policies is easier said than done. It takes strong leadership to instil change, ensure a common vision and enhance cross-sectoral cooperation at the national, regional and global levels," he said in his address before launching the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Regional Forum on Environment and Health in Southeast and East Asian Countries on Tuesday.

Najib warned that it was increasingly clear that the environment could no longer be considered an afterthought to economic development, with nations facing common environmental health problems in a global economy.

He stressed that environmental and health issues must be a priority in formulating development plans.

Najib rallies players

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak took time off from his hectic schedule in Kuantan to give a pep talk to the national Under-23 team before Ong Kim Swee's side played Singapore in their Merdeka Tournament opener yesterday.

Najib spent about 10 minutes in the dressing room and was briefed by FA of Malaysia (FAM) general-secretary Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin and Kim Swee on the team's progress.

The prime minister expressed hope the team would do well in the tournament ahead of December's Sea Games in Myanmar.

"I told the players to do their best as a good result will give them the confidence for the Sea Games. The target is the gold medal in Myanmar and I am confident we can achieve a third straight title," said Najib at the Darulmakmur Stadium.

"They have the experience and have been training together for the last few months. I believe we can do it. They must, however, train harder to achieve their goals."

Kim Swee's side spent five months in Slovakia and played friendly matches against clubs and international youth teams. Malaysia won the Sea Games title in Laos (2009) and Indonesia (2011).

Hamidin said FAM was touched by the support shown by Najib.

"We have invested a lot on the team and I do not see why they can't retain their gold medal at the Sea Games. We have provided everything to them," said Hamidin.

(Source: www.nst.com.my)

Port upgrade a boost to ECER

KUANTAN: The expansion of Kuantan Port marks another milestone in the development and transformation of the East Coast Economic Region (ECER), Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

The Prime Minister added that the RM4bil port expansion was expected to be a “game changer” in terms of the ECER’s positioning as a key investment and trade destination and expected to generate more than RM15bil in investments when completed in 2015.

The Federal Government will invest RM1bil and spearhead the development of a new deepwater terminal while the private sector will inject RM3bil.

“With the expansion, the port’s total throughput is expected to double to 52 million tonnes of cargo from the current 26 million tonnes,” he said.

Najib said an upgraded and modernised Kuantan Port would place Malaysia as one of the top trading nations in the world.

“Kuantan Port’s comparative advantage lies in its strategic location, facing the South China Sea and right in the middle of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Esscom to be strengthened: PM

Kuala Lumpur: The Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) will be strengthened for the safety of Malaysians, especially in Sabah, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak posted on his Twitter account Friday.

The Prime Minister was commenting on a news report which stated that Esscom would be receiving new assets soon.

On Thursday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said part of the new assets, particularly for patrols, had been already purchased and were pending delivery.

Meanwhile, in an earlier Tweet, Najib reminded the public that this Sunday was the closing date for the contribution of ideas for the 2014 Budget.

The Budget is scheduled to be tabled at the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 25.

(Source: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my)

Kuantan Port expansion project takes off

Najib looks at a model of the redesigned Kuantan Port.

KUANTAN: The much-awaited Kuantan Port expansion project was officially launched, marking another milestone in the development and transformation of the East Coast Economic Region (ECER).

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the expansion of the port was expected to be a game changer in terms of ECER's positioning as a key investment and trade destination.

Najib said an upgraded and modernised Kuantan Port would place Malaysia as one of the top trading nations in the world.

"Kuantan Port's comparative advantage lies in its strategic location facing the South China Sea and in the middle of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

"Hence, the newly-expanded Kuantan Port is well positioned to serve as a world class multi-purpose port for regional trade in Asean, the Far East and the rest of the Asia Pacific," he said in his speech during the launching ceremony.