Get rid of negative attitude, says king
FOR the first time in history, the opening ceremony of the 13th Parliament yesterday was held indoors because of the haze, with the customary guard-of-honour mounted at the building's banquet hall instead of Parliament Square.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Haminah, who arrived at 10am, were greeted on their arrival by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang before being escorted to the hall where the king took the salute, with the guard-of-honour mounted by 103 personnel from the First Battalion Royal Malay Regiment.
The king, however, did not inspect the guard-of-honour as traditionally practised.
Present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman, ministers and diplomats.
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n his opening address, Tuanku Halim reiterated his call for all parties to accept and respect the results of the recently concluded 13th General Election, which was carried out in accordance with democratic principles.
He also reminded members of parliament not to resort to action that could lead to the destruction of the country as it would take a long time for the country to recover if it were to fall apart.
He also urged the people to get rid of attitudes which could split Malaysians, adding that they should find ways to reach mutual understanding.
"Everyone should work together to propel the country to greater heights by making it a high-income and developed nation by 2020.
"I congratulate Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his cabinet lineup for successfully forming the Federal Government. I am confident that the government will continue its efforts to develop the country to achieve its goal of becoming a high-income nation by 2020."
The king said he believed that the government was committed to realising the national transformation agenda through the various programmes under the National Key Result Areas and National Key Economic Areas, adding that the programmes would benefit the people economically, socially and politically.
"In achieving this, the government will place emphasis on values, including accountability, integrity, adherence with the law and efficient management."
He said Malaysia's competitive edge in the global arena had also increased, with the country being recognised as the 12th most business-friendly nation in the world and 10th choice destination for foreign direct investment in the Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index 2012.
He said to that end, the government would continue playing its role to create a more conducive environment for the private sector to generate economic growth.
The king said he was also grateful that the 13th General Election was conducted in a peaceful manner and appreciated the work of all parties, especially the Election Commission, security personnel and civil servants.
He also extended a note of appreciation to all his subjects who went out and exercised their rights to vote in GE13.
"I congratulate all the members of parliament who were elected recently. I hope that they would serve the people with dedication and integrity."
The king also urged all MPs to close ranks and work together for the sake of the country's development.
"All MPs should shoulder the trust of the people who wish for the continued stability and prosperity of the nation."
The king also reflected on his two tenures as Yang di-Pertuan Agong and said the country had since progressed into a modern and industrialised nation.
"The status of Islam as the official religion should not be questioned or manipulated to serve the interests of certain people as it could subvert the faith of Muslims."
In recognising the fallen heroes during the Lahad Datu intrusion, the king said: "The queen and I would like to convey our deepest condolences to the families of the security forces who sacrificed their lives to protect the country during the foreign incursion in Lahad Datu and Semporna in Sabah.
"The sacrifice made by the army, police and civilians to protect the security in east Sabah is very much appreciated."
The Dewan Rakyat will sit for 16 days between now and July 18 and the Dewan Negara, between July 22 and Aug 1
