THE Federal Government is willing to work with the Pe- nang Government to address the long-standing traffic congestion woes on the island.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the Federal Go-vernment continued to place im-portance on the state although it was governed by a different political entity.

“If there are transport woes, I think we can work with the state government to resolve it,” Najib said during a dialogue with 100 of his Facebook friends at a hotel in Penang on Saturday.

His remarks drew wide applause among the eager audience pleased to have the chance to pose questions to the premier.

Najib fielded some questions and complemented his online pals on their suggestions and even reprimands.

On a question concerning affordable housing in Penang, Najib admitted that the property prices in the state were high.

In a jest, he said he had ideas on how to overcome the issue but unfortunately, Barisan Nasional was not the ruling government in Penang.

To a question about the 1Malay-sia concept, Najib said it must be understood in-depth and not taken on a superficial scale.

“It is a concept to build resilience for Malaysia to move forward as a united nation whose citizens share the same ideals and values.

“Since the concept is big, it will require time for all Malaysians to digest its meaning and significance to nation building,” he explained.

Najib was visibily taken by surprise when some of his online friends complained about elected representatives who are nowhere to be seen, especially during floods.

“I hope they are not from Barisan (Nasional). But yes! the voters of today are a discerning lot. They are highly educated and are aware of their rights.

“I am advocating that our leaders must not talk down to the people but instead treat them as equal partners in the country’s push for development.

“I must admit that our country has problems. We are not perfect but if we play our part,

“I am confident that the country will soon emerge on a stronger footing. We are doing this for the younger generation so they can inherit something to propel the country even higher,” he said.

Najib said the Government Transformation Plan was part of efforts to ensure that the country was on track towards becoming a high-income nation.

He, however, implored every Malaysian to apply innovation and creativity to generate new forms of wealth which would thus create higher paying jobs.

SOURCE: The Star