The Najib administration is going ahead with 10 infrastructure projects in Penang in what the prime minister called encouraging “economic growth in the national interest”, despite being political foes with the state’s Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak broke the ground for the Bayan Lepas International Airport here, where he said Penang had many unique advantages which positioned the state well to become a hub for the northern corridor and the growth triangle comprising Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Also present at the ceremony was Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Najib used a major gathering of Chinese editors here to push forward his economic agenda and inclusiveness where he promoted moderation for a “rational, secure and equitable world”.
There is mounting speculation that Najib will call for snap polls next year, but government officials say the prime minister wants to reap results from his economic reforms before seeking his own mandate.
It is also understood that the country’s ethnic Chinese agree there is better direction in Malaysia’s economy although most are not in favour of Najib’s Umno, the dominant party in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government.
Najib noted that several development strategies designed to stimulate the state’s economy and provide jobs were driving the federal government towards that goal.
“These initiatives will not only facilitate economic activities but also support our nation’s objective to increase tourism revenue from the RM53 billion in 2009 to RM168 billion by 2020,” he said at the ground-breaking ceremony.
The prime minister said 10 infrastructure projects had been identified for implementation, and they included the expansion of the airport, Penang Port, and the Penang Bridge; construction of the second bridge; and the creation of a multimedia super corridor in the state.
“For example, Penang already offers the highest economic density and the shortest distance to market for a city in the growth triangle,” he said.
The total development of the airport expansion project, targeted to be completed by 2012, will cost RM250 million and is provided for under the RM60 billion fiscal stimulus package announced by the federal government last year.
According to Najib, the project was yet another federal government initiative to enhance facilities and services as Penang was a catalyst for growth of the tourism industry.
From the commercial perspective, airports enjoyed a competitive advantage and a captive market and, today, the modern airport offered much more than just a place to catch a flight, he explained.
He said that following the example of successful airline hubs around the world, Malaysia envisioned its airports as a platform to drive commercial business.
In today’s interconnected world, the abilities to offer high-quality, reliable air travel services and facilities served as a catalyst to attract trade and investment into any country, he said, adding that this directly supported employment and wealth generation which in turn would help Malaysia’s drive to become a high-income nation.
Najib said the Penang international airport had seen encouraging traffic growth, receiving more than 3.4 million passengers this year up to September, up by 30.5 per cent from the corresponding period last year.
“As such, I am sure the expansion of the airport will enable Penang to achieve greater economic growth,” he said.
The prime minister later said that Malaysians should draw on common strengths and not try to divide the nation.
He said this was in line towards becoming a truly successful 21st century nation, which was a dream founded on strong footing that could be attained if everyone worked together.
“We should not be doing things to divide the nation. If we divide this nation, we would all be losers,” he said when opening the 43rd International Convention of the World Chinese Language Press Institute, also here today.
Najib said the Chinese media had enormous reach and influence both in China and in the many Chinese-language communities around the world, including Malaysia.
“This means Chinese writers can potentially influence nearly one-fifth of the total population on earth. This is truly staggering,” he said.
Najib proposed three roles for the media community — as a promoter of good values especially moderation, as a watch tower for change, and as catalyst for development.
“The global movement of the moderates can marginalise the extremists. With collective determination, we can build a more rational, secure and equitable world,” he said.
He said by keeping watch in a steady and resolute manner, the media could hold governments, companies, communities and individuals to account.
As a catalyst for development, he gave as an example Malaysia, where the government introduced programmes to accelerate economic growth through the New Economic Model (NEM) and the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).
“This is not just a plan, there is actually a road map in very specific terms,” said Najib, adding that there were 18 ETPs on the ground and many more in the future.
About 200 delegates from 100 media organisations all over the world are taking part in the two-day convention at the Bayview Georgetown Hotel. This is the fifth time that the convention is held in Malaysia.
