Populist policies not BN\'s way: Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Najib Tun Razak Seri said tonight Barisan Nasional (BN) strives to put the country on a strong economic footing and not running it based on populist policies. It was for this reason, he said, that Malaysia was able to register good economic growth, increase revenue to the tune of RM26 billion through tax collections, and register a total trade of RM1.3 trillion last year. \"I mention this so that you can understand that our country under the BN is in good hands, secured and poised for a major transformation,\" he told a dinner attended by 20,000 people at the Taman Ria Jaya public field, here Saturday night. Najib, who is BN chairman, said as a party which is close to the heart of the people, each of its elected representatives should be able to feel the pulse of the people. \"There should be nothing to separate leaders and the people. As elected representatives of the BN, we should give first priority to the people at all times; the change that we are going to make should be driven by this,\" he said. He added that with the mandate given to the national coalition, there had been numerous transformations being carried out not only in developing the country and spurring the economy but also in caring for the well-being of the people Najib expressed the hope that the presence of a large number of people at the event tonight was a signal that Kedah was ready for a change in its political landscape. \"I\'m deeply touched by the massive turnout tonight; which got me thinking whether this is a good sign for the BN, whether this is a sign that the wind of change is blowing in Kedah, that we are ready to make a change,\" he said. BN won 14 of 36 state seats in Kedah in the 12th general election, paving the way for Pakatan to take over the state government.