Malaysia needs 'Jihad' in education to achieve develop nation status - Najib

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said 'jihad' in education is crucial to lift the status of Malaysians and to achieve developed nation status.

The Prime Minister said Malaysian society has yet to fight tooth and nail to achieve success in education to develop excellent human capital.

Countries such as South Korea and Japan strongly emphasised education to produce excellent human capital due to lack of natural resources.

"What are we lacking? Lack of enthusiasm to succeed," he said at the award presentation ceremony for UPSR and PMR excellent students in Pekan parliamentary constituency, here today.

South Koreans stressed a lot on education to produce human capital and succeeded by dominating fields such as telecommunications, information technology and automotive.

"Samsung products have become best sellers worldwide. The South Koreans have no resources, not even one drop of oil but their seriousness in producing excellent human capital has made the country an advanced economy."

He said excellence of education should be supported by factors such as the school management, teachers, parents and local leaders.

These factors help to produce success in education to create excellent human capital and achieve developed nation status.

At the event, Najib presented RM200 to each 615 students who excelled in the 2013 UPSR and PMR examinations on behalf of Pahang Fundation and Rahah Foundation.