In 'Conversation with the PM'

Below are key points from the programme, which was in collaboration with New Straits Times.

On the upcoming General Election (GE) Najib: My main message to the voters is that the best has yet to come. We've done so much over the last four years, if you give us the mandate I assure you we'll do even better for the next five years.

On how Barisan Nasional (BN) will fare on GE Najib: We are cautiously optimistic. When it comes to elections, we cannot take anything for granted. We've done our assessments and numbers, we believe that the rakyat is behind us and the rakyat feels the future is more secure with BN.

On BN candidates Najib: Every time we study the list, we are driven to make changes, but we may not have much time (to do that). We check, scrutinise and ponder if there could be a better candidate. I believe the process will go on up to the moment we announce the candidates. There may be changes right up to that moment. We will field those people who have been categorised as winnable candidates.

On electoral reforms Najib: The elections in Malaysia had always been conducted in a free and fair manner. If elections were not in that way, we (the BN) would not have lost our two-third majority and five states in the 2008 GE. Kelantan won’t be ruled by the opposition for more than 20 years.

On the economy Najib: I can quote you the statistics that indicate the strong resilience of our national economy. When we talk about benefits to the people from 2009 to 2011, our Gross National Income (GNI) per capita has grown from US$6,670 to $9,970, roughly about 49 percent.

On Sabah Najib: It’s a wakeup call for us, not only for the government but the rakyat, including the people of Sabah that there are external threats. We must deal with the external threats, we must be prepared, and we must make sure the armed forces are well trained, including the police as well. We need to also make sure our security forces are well-trained and equipped.

On reducing the prices of cars Najib: It’s a process that has to be seen in realistic terms. That's why the government has taken a step-by-step approach. First of all, we ask the companies to reduce the prices on a voluntary basis. Lately, for quite a number of models, the prices have actually dropped by RM3000 to RM15, 000. That's quite a significant reduction. The next 5 years, as AFTA kicks in and our Free Trade Agreement with Japan and Australia that would mean for most foreign cars, the reduction will be up to 30%.

On the efficiency of public transportation Najib: We are doing it right now. The MRT project is going on schedule and within the budget. We've implemented the RapidKL and we've launched RapidPenang and RapidKuantan. Our LRT is picking up. We believe that by embarking on this public transport system, we will provide the public with an alternative. In the next few years, the government will be able to deliver a public transport system that will meet the expectation of the people.

On Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) as a temporary political gimmick Najib: I can assure that this is part and parcel of our overall new economy strategy for the country. As you know we've been giving out subsidies in the right manner. For example, our petroleum subsidy alone costs us RM23 bilion a year. As a significant shift in our policy, we have gone for more targeted and focused subsidies. By doing BR1M, the total cost is RM3 billion. BR1M has been well received, fair, equitable and helps the right people so we will continue with BR1M. It is not a gimmick. When people get money, they actually go out and buy and that's good for local and domestic economy.

On street crimes Najib: We're committed to reduce crimes. We didn't say we're going to abolish or reduce to zero crimes in this country. What we promised is a steady reduction of crime rate in this country. In 2009, the reported crime was roughly at 210,000. In 2011, it went down to 160,000. Crime still takes place in this country. Instead of arguing about statistics, what we need to do is to work closely together with the government, with the police, the law enforcement agencies, the private sector, local residents association in helping out to reduce crime.

On brain drain Najib: After the launch of initiatives like TalentCorp, more than 1600 Malaysians had returned to the country in the two-year period of 2011 and 2012. Compare this to the ten previous years as only 1100 Malaysians returned home. This trend is really encouraging. We need to take the initiative to provide jobs that would bring big rewards. If we want them to come back, we need to provide a better opportunity and challenge for them.