PNB wins praise from PM Najib

He said it was proven when major, renowned international companies previously owned by those who had colonised Malaysia, were successfully brought home through the right strategies and wisdom of those who led PNB.

"We know that PNB''s ''dawn raid'' strategy to bring Guthrie back to Malaysia has helped make an entity owned by foreigners to become the property of Malaysians.

"This to me has opened our minds that we can bring about change and a restructuring of the country''s economy.

"Today, PNB is managing more than 200 companies that are amongst the biggest in the country,'' he said in his speech when officiating the Malaysia Unit Trust Week (MSAM) 2017 at Dataran Temerloh here today.

Also present was Najib''s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, PNB Group Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar and President/Chief Executive of PNB Group Datuk Abdul Rahman Ahmad.

The dawn raid (ambush at dawn) was a success in bringing back Malaysia''s leading plantations company, Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd, from London in September 1982 and it was absorbed into PNB when newly established.

Najib said PNB, through Sime Darby Bhd, had also successfully proven its achievements in the plantations sector in owning 280,00 hectares of land in Indonesia, 220,000 hectares in Liberia and 350,000 hectares in Malaysia.

"PNB is recognised as an institution and instrument to achieve the objectives of the New Economic Policy (NEP) and today, I see it as a premier institution that all Malaysians can be proud of," he added.

Najib also congratulated PNB on its success in distributing dividends and bonus to 13 million investors and involving a payment of RM157.5 billion from its formation to 2016.

He stressed that although the NEP initiated by Tun Abdul Razak Hussein had ended, its spirit philosophy and principles had never been ''buried'', but rather, sustained through a rebranding and now, with the agenda for the empowerment of the Bumiputera economy, was entering a new phase.

"If the original objective of the NEP focused on two aspects, namely the percentage of equity ownership and poverty eradication, we can now see that the time has come to look at it inclusively and comprehensively if we are to continue advancing Bumiputeras and not just consider the aspect of listed share ownership or the corporate sector.

"Rather, we have to see for example from the aspect of education, the number of Bumiputeras who have succeeded as professionals, and if they are normal workers, their level of competence.

"From the aspect of asset ownership, where their houses are and the surrounding conditions. We do not want to see excellence only in the business sector, but want to develop Bumiputeras as renowned scientists, world class sportsmen or in other fields that are well known.Only then will we be a race that is respected.

"This is my foremost objective under the Transformasi Nasional 50 (TN 50)and we are the only government that is capable of bringing about this transformation for Bumiputeras and the country,'' he said.

Meanwhile, the Unit Trust Week themed, "Pelaburan 360 PNB" will be held over six days until April 25 .Participating in the event alongside the 12 companies in the PNB Group are Malayan Banking Bhd, Sime Darby, I&P Group Sdn Bhd, SP Setia and UMW Holdings Bhd.

The programme, launched in 2000 is aimed at educating the people on investments and the importance of financial planning, alongside bringing them closer to PNB and its group of companies.