Najib sets party mood for GE14

KUALA LUMPUR: With many dissidents already making their exit from the party, Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak today rallied party members to set their sights in achieving grandiose victory in the 14th general election.
Najib, who is the prime minister, said though there were still members showing affiliation to certain leaders, his leadership has now been blessed with loyal assistants who are ready fight for the party till the end.
"We are ready. By looking at the soul of our struggles shown by the delegates, we are now committed and the issue of Umno's internal conflicts has been resolved. It does not arise anymore," he said.
"Where are we heading now? The 14th general election ... our focus is to ensure this party will continue to succeed," he said in his winding up speech at the 70th Umno Annual General Meeting at Putra World Trade Centre here.
Najib said the victory by Barisan Nasional in the Sarawak state election and two by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar recently had proven that all the strategies lined up by the government had received support by the rakyat.
He, however, reminded party members not to undermine the opposition if they want to see Umno and Barisan Nasional return to Putrajaya after the national polls.
"We must realise that one or two victories do not mean that we will be able to win during the big test," he said.
"Do not undermine our enemies. Never take your opponent for granted and do not simply believe the opinion poll," he added.
He said unlike the opposition, the government has a clear path and strategies in making the country a developed nation.
"This is not just empty words as it has been proven with our record that is undeniable," he said.
Touching on the economy, Najib pledged to turn Malaysia into a powerhouse by shifting the country into a RM2 trillion economy in another seven years.
He said this could be achieved if Malaysia experiences a stable economic growth of 5% every year, assisted with the development of several mega projects such as the High Speed Rail and Bandar Malaysia.
Najib also said the government had several plans in paving the way to change Malaysia into a first rate nation.
"We need to have a goal for Malaysia. At least, we need to become the top 20 nations in the world so that there will be no one belittling Malaysia," he added.