EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION

JITRA: Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he has no plans to call for a snap election although an opposition leader had suggested he would do so after acknowledging the prime minister's substantial rise in his popularity rating since he took office.

Najib said it was not for him to judge his performance or that of the Barisan Nasional but that it was for the people to decide.

"The opposition leader said I might be compelled to call for an early general election since the BN has become stronger," he told reporters after attending a meet-the-people session at Dewan Wawasan here yesterday.

He was asked to elaborate on his speech earlier where he said he had received an e-mail stating that an opposition leader was confident he would call for a snap election since the Barisan Nasional had become stronger since its dismal performance in the March 8 general election last year.

Najib declined to name the opposition leader but it is learnt that DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang had on July 13 raised a poser if Najib would be compelled to call for a snap election since the prime minister's popularity rating, among other things, had increased from 45 per cent to 65 per cent since he took office on April 3.

Asked for his comment on the opposition leader's suggestion, he said: "That was his comment and I read it with some degree of amusement."

Asked if the opposition leader's suggestion was a "trap", Najib said he was not in a hurry to call for a general election.

He said he had also learnt from a blog that suggested the BN was now in very good stead and that the "momentum" was on its side.

However, Najib was quick to reiterate that he would leave it to the people to be the judge of BN's performance.

Asked if the BN was stepping up efforts to win over the hearts of young voters, he said it was important to do so.

"If we want to win the election, we must not neglect the youth and middle-aged group," he said.

Earlier, Najib said an efficient civil service would help hasten efforts to realise the 1Malaysia concept.

A public administration which is also responsive and flexible, would also help in the modernisation process of the country.

"I am thankful that I have received strong support from the public administration's top leadership, especially the Chief Secretary to the Government, the Public Service Department director-general and the Treasury director-general.

"In fact, our approach is not top down but it involves all segments of the public service," he said at the launching of the Bandar Mua'adzam Shah federal government administrative complex in Anak Bukit by the Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah.

Present were the Sultanah of Kedah Sultanah Haminah Hamidun and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak.

Najib said public officers should always give priority to enhancing productivity and quality of service.

He said civil servants should utilise facilities provided by the government to produce quality service.

The RM270 million administrative complex houses 40 state and federal departments and agencies.

Later, Najib and wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, made a surprise visit to Pekan Rabu, much to the delight of the shoppers and retailers. They bought some traditional goodies including dodol, halwa maskat and fried cempedak.