Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could not hold back his tears as he presented the opening speech at an event held in conjunction with his the 40th anniversary of his father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein’s passing, Wednesday.

Najib said, he is immensely proud to be the son of the country’s "Father of Modernisation" and looks up to him as an exemplary role especially in carrying out his daily tasks as a Prime Minister.

“I am standing before everybody here and must say that I’m proud to be his son ... I live my life every day to preserve his legacy. He is a role model to me and has continued to be a source of inspiration of the rakyat in Malaysia,” said Najib at the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute event here today.

[PHOTOS]: PM at the Tun Abdul Razak Memorial

He also added that his father played an integral role in changing the fate of Bumiputera in the country with his brainchild such as the New Economic Policy, which was introduced in 1970.

“The NEP was introduced to curb poverty and increase job opportunities and heightens the income standard as well as to reform the economy in an effort to omit the nation’s identity based on economy.

“The effort earned itself an overwhelming outcome. The poverty level in the country showed a decline from 49 per cent in 1970 to 0.6 per cent in 2014, while the involvement of Bumiputera in some job sectors including medicine has increased from 3.7 per cent to 46 per cent while in engineering sector from seven to 35 per cent.

The event also saw the launch the book of Tun Ahmad Sarji’s book titled, “My Recollections of Tun Abdul Razak”.

Also present were former prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, former Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Utama Khalil Yaakob, Higher Learning Education Minister, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, Information Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak and entrepreneur Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah.