PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak fielded questions on a range of issues, including the importance of Saudi Arabia in the Muslim world, in an exclusive interview with the English-language Arab News. Najib, who is on a five-day visit to Saudi Arabia, was also asked why Malaysia chose to join the 34-nation Islamic Military Alliance, why Malaysia is against Russian intervention in Syria and why Malaysia unreservedly condemned Iran for the recent attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. Here is the article in Arab News:
JEDDAH: Malaysian prime ministers have generally captured the imagination of the Muslim world with their vision and commitment to creating a prosperous, just and equitable society. Whether it was the late Tun Abdul Razak, (Tun Dr) Mahathir Mohamad or (Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, they were all admired inside as well as outside Malaysia. Their common aim was to build their country from the bottom up into the modern state it is today. (Datuk Seri) Mohammed Najib Tun Abdul Razak, the current prime minister, is no different.
Ever since he took office as the sixth prime minister in April 2009, the affable, wise, popular and politically astute 63-year-old leader has set in motion a series of measures that has seen his country fight off recession and successfully overcome the slowdown in the global economy. Today, under his leadership, Malaysian state-run companies are operating international airports, including the one in Istanbul, Turkey. They are also among the three top bidders for Jeddah s airport project.
More than his business acumen and vision, Najib Razak s decision to become part of the Saudi-led 34-nation military alliance and his unflinching stand against foreign (read Iranian) interference in the domestic affairs of other countries are seen as his distinguishing characteristics. Those traits differentiate him from ordinary leaders and turn him into an extraordinary statesman. Son of the late Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, he was educated at St. John s Institution in Kuala Lumpur and Malvern Boy s College in Worcestershire, England, before earning a degree in industrial economics from Nottingham University.
The father of five children, Najib Razak has been in politics since the age of 23. During his current visit to Saudi Arabia, he spoke exclusively to Arab News on Tuesday evening in his suite at the Qasr Al-Sharq luxury hotel overlooking the Jeddah Corniche. He fielded questions on a range of issues, including the importance of Saudi Arabia in the Muslim world, why Malaysia chose to join the 34-nation Islamic Military Alliance, why Malaysia is against Russian intervention in Syria and why his country unreservedly condemned Iran for the recent attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. Throughout the interview, he spoke in a measured tone and, as is evident from his answers, weighed his words carefully.
Link: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/03/04/najib-razak-interview-arab-news/
