KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — All parties need to take advantage of the political stability that the country is currently experiencing to formulate and implement clear programmes for the good of the people, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said the country's political stability has now enabled the government to record good economic growth, reduce unemployment and record the highest rate of investment inflow in history.
"Several years ago, our country was politically unstable, now it has been three years of stable government and national politics. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God). When it is stable, the result is that we have almost succeeded in ending hardcore poverty.
"I don't want to brag that my efforts are my own, this is the efforts of the Cabinet that have a common determination, then KSN (Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar) translates them into the implementation stage," he said when speaking at the Monthly Assembly of the Ministry of Works (KKR) here today.
Also present were Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi and his deputy Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan and Tan Sri Shamsul Azri.
The prime minister, however, admitted that there are still several shortcomings that need to be addressed to ensure greater success.
“This does not mean that we are belittling what we have done, but we need to admit that there is room for improvement.
“I emphasise that sometimes in our battles, whether (in terms of) politics, disagreements, ideology, race, tribe and state, sometimes we lose our human values,” he said.
Commenting on the Madani government’s continued efforts to combat corruption, Anwar expressed sadness at the existence of a trend that tends to glorify bribe-givers.
“We say we hate corruption but when we take action, if it happens to our friends, we are angry.
“Not only that, we now also have a trend, a trend to deify and glorify bribe-givers, I think it is very disturbing. Because this will not be able to lift our state and country,” he said.
