8/14/2019 TheSun 2009-01-21 Page01 President Obama

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PUTRAJAYA: Acknowledging the wave of changesweeping the world today, Deputy Prime MinisterDatuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak yesterday gave notice toBarisan Nasional leaders to break out of their comfortzone and deal with the challenges effectively or be pun-ished in the next general election.

He said the leaders must reorientate their approach tobe constantly in tune with the peoples aspiration.

Calling on BN leaders to rise to the occasion, he alsourged them to rearrange their strategies and resolve tomake changes not only to themselves but also to theparty for the sake of the people and country. The BNgovernment, he said, should ensure that all development

programmes were geared towards fulfilling the peoplesneeds.

If we fail to deal with these challenges effectively,he said, punishment awaits us in the 13th general elec-tion.

His speech at the launch of a book titled New Politicswritten by Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Devel-opment Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah comes justthree days after the BN lost the Kuala Terengganu parlia-mentary by-election to PAS by a convincing margin.

Later at another event, the Umno deputy presidentsaid the party must repent and make serious changesas the lessons of the Kuala Terengganu by-electionmust not be taken lightly. He said the party mustaccept and respect the decision of the people who choseto put their trust in the Opposition.

Umno must repent ... we must change our cultureand our attitude, said Najib. We have to change at alllevels so that we can win over the hearts of the people.

We must develop a more positive image in the eyesof the public and take into consideration the factors andcauses (for the defeat), he said, after witnessing a waterrestructuring deal.

He said it was important for Umno to evaluate how itwas perceived by the people. He said that the defeat wasnot a question of personality (of the candidate) but thetotal responsibility of the party.

Speaking at the book launch, he said: We are awarethat in a democratic system, the people are the ultimatedeterminer of which party should form the government.

In implementing all the required changes, the BN,whether it liked it or not, needed able leaders who areknowledgeable in the fields entrusted to them.

Malaysians are mature enough to gauge their lead-ers. They are no longer impressed with the rhetoric ofchanges which are nothing but plain rhetoric. Theywant results. They want to see actual changes takingplace.

Najib said the wave of change sweeping the worldrequired the country not only to have leaders withsweet smiles and pleasant personalities but also thosewith wisdom and ideas.

Changes had now become a dominant theme inglobal politics, he said.

US president Barack Obama, during his campaigntrail for instance, had been appealing to the Americanpeoples sense of hope and idealism and not their fear

and hatred, he said. This has triggered a wave of changein the history of American politics. Bernama

Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations (Malaysia)

News withoutborders

No. 4683 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)

WednesdayJanuary 21, 2009

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Change or perish,says Najib

President ObamaW

ASHINGTON:Barack Obama be-came the first black

US president today, making history beforea sea of people and declaring the United

States in the midst of a crisis that can bedefeated with a united sense of purpose.Today I say to you that the challenges

we face are real, Obama said in his inau-gural speech shortly after taking the oathof office.

They are serious and they are many.They will not be met easily or in a shortspan of time. But know this, America --they will be met.

Hundreds of thousands of people eruptedin roars of approval onthe broad NationalMall grounds asthey watchedObama standwith one handraised, one handon a Bible used to

swear in Abraham Lincoln in 1861, andrepeat the brief oath to become the 44th US

president and succeed George W. Bush.Turning to crowds stretching wayinto the distance, Obama cited the worsteconomic conditions in 70 years and USinvolvement in wars in Iraq and Afghani-stan as having placed the country in themidst of crisis.

On this day, we gather because we havechosen hope over fear, unity of purposeover conflict and discord, he said.

Obama pledged bold and swift action onthe badly weakened US economy, a toppriority as he works with the US Congresson an estimated US$850billion (RM3.06 tril-lion) economicstimulus packageaimed at jolting theeconomy back tolife.

On Iraq, Obamavowed the UnitedStates would

begin to leaveresponsiblybut citedno specifictimetable.

He of-

fered conciliatory wordsto Muslims while issu-ing a warning to those

who would wage terrorism. In a messageto the Muslim world, Obama said he would

seek a new way forward based on mutualinterest and mutual respect.He also said: We will not apologise

for our way of life, nor will we waverin its defence, and for those who seek toadvance their aims by inducing terror andslaughtering innocents, we say to you nowthat our spirit is stronger and cannot bebroken; you cannot outlast us, and we willdefeat you.

Obama said the economic crisis was aconsequence of greed and irresponsibilityon the part of some and vowed that thosewho manage Americans money will beheld to account.

He also promised awatchful eye to ensure

financial markets donot spin out of con-trol. - Reuters

C M

YK

AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAKES HISTORY

theSun says:

Too much isexpectedof Obama

page 15

With one hand raised, one hand on a Bible

used to swear in Abraham Lincoln in 1861,Obama repeats the brief oath to becomethe 44th US president.

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