BUTTERWORTH: The last four years have been a period of success and development, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

The Prime Minister said the achievements during his first full term in office included the country achieving economic growth of 6.3% last year and implementation of the regional economic development corridors.

Force of Penang: Abdullah and Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon
posing for photos with the three candidates for the chief minister’s post
(from left) Teng Chang Yeow, Datuk Lee Kah Choon and
Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan in Seberang Jaya yesterday.

Other achievements included increasing investor confidence, raising Bursa Malaysia's index and reducing the poverty rate to 0.3%.

Abdullah said that the Government had been listening to the grouses of the people and had taken pro-active measures to resolve their problems.

“We have not been deaf or sleeping in the last four years. We heard you loud and will continue to hear your voices,” he said when opening the RM100mil Wisma TNB in Seberang Jaya.

Abdullah said some problems might take longer to resolve but the Government would do its best to address them.

He criticised the Opposition's proposal to create a welfare state where each household earning less than RM6,000 a month would be given an annual subsidy of RM6,000.

“We cannot give people fish for a lifetime. We have to teach them to fish and tell them where to fish so that they can become self-reliant.

“The creation of a welfare state will make people lazy. We should instead give them the confidence and know-how to participate in the country's economy,” he said.

On fuel prices, Abdullah said that the Government was seeking long-term measures to lighten the people's burden due to price increases.

“The Government is introducing policies and measures for people to generate more income to reduce their financial burden,” he added.

Abdullah also repeated his slogan when he took over the premiership in 2004 when he appealed to the people to work with him and not for him.

“I will repay your co-operation by ensuring that whatever I have promised will be delivered,” he added.

Abdullah praised heads of government-linked companies for successfully turning their entities into profitable companies and were therefore able to become the catalyst for the country’s economic growth.

source: theStar