Najib: Give me your views

(NST) KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants the public to comment on his cabinet line-up and the new perfomance-based approach which he intends to enforce.

Najib, who announced the new cabinet last Thursday, also wants to know of the public's hopes for the new administration to ensure that the welfare and development of all communities are looked after.

He said that a number of factors were taken into consideration to ensure that "the cabinet is truly a people's cabinet, able to serve the rakyat fairly and effectively, and will strive to propel the country forward, leaving no one behind".

"I gathered from the comments left in my blog since the announcement that the line-up was pleasing for some and raised questions for others.

"As some of you may have strong feelings about the cabinet line-up, I encourage everyone to be respectful in their opinion of others in their remarks and hope that we can continue this dialogue in a constructive manner, in the true spirit of 1Malaysia," he said in a posting on his personal website at http://www.1Malaysia.com.my.

The prime minister had announced a series of key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge the performance and achievements of his cabinet as the first steps towards reform and a more responsible, focused and people-centric government.

He will also be involved in assessing the performance of all the ministers every six months, with the assistance of Senator Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, who was appointed minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of a unit to monitor the KPIs.

On the cancellation of the Asean Leaders plus Three summit in Pattaya following anti-government riots there, Najib said domestic political challenges like these could impede the good work of a regional grouping like Asean.

It could also delay the benefits of closer integration for millions living and working in Southeast Asia.