2 theSun | THURSDAY APRIL 16 2009

news without borders

Full attendance at Terengganu assembly

KUALA TERENGGANU: The 10
Barisan Nasional assemblymen who
were absent from Tuesday’s sitting
of the Terengganu state assembly
turned up at yesterday’s sitting.
All 32 assemblymen, 24 from the
BN and eight from opposition party
PAS, were present when the third
and final day of the sitting began at
9.30am in Wisma Darul Iman here.
The sitting proceeded smoothly,
beginning with the question-and-
answer session.
The 10 assemblymen who had
skipped Tuesday’s sitting are former
Terengganu mentri besar Datuk Seri
Idris Jusoh (Jertih), Muhammad
Ramli Nuh (Tepuh), Mohd Zawawi
Ismail (Kuala Berang), Abdul Halim
Jusoh (Permaisuri), Datuk Din Adam
(Bukit Besi), Datuk Rosol Wahid
(Ajil), Alias Abdullah (Alur Limbat),
Zakaria Abdullah (Paka), Ramlan Ali
(Jabi) and Mohd Pehimi Yusof (Kota
Putera).
It is believed that their absence
was related to death threats received
via SMS by Rosol, Abdul Halim and
Zakaria on Monday night.
Idris, who was approached af-
terwards, said the 10 assemblymen
attended yesterday’s meeting after
having been instructed by Prime Min-
ister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak
to do so, and following an assurance
from the police on their safety.
Rosol said he had submitted re-
ports on the matter to Najib, Deputy
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin
Yassin and the Terengganu palace.
He hoped the police would
take appropriate action against the
individual who had sent the death
threats via SMS as “it was a serious
matter”.
Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said
had earlier warned of expulsion if
any BN assemblyman tabled a vote
of no-confidence in him at the cur-
rent sitting of the assembly.
Ahmad said all assemblymen
should have a positive attitude and
attend the assembly sitting in the
interests of the party and people.
Asked whether he was fearful
over talk of a no-confidence vote
against him, he said: “I am not afraid.
I have been up against this sort of
thing before (during the time of his
appointment as the mentri besar).”
Ahmad said he brought up the
matter of the absent assemblymen
with Najib, who then instructed
them to attend yesterday’s sitting.
– Bernama

Khazanah Nasional to
draw up KPI system
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Abdul Razak said Khazanah
Nasional had been assigned to assist the
government in drawing up a Key Perform-
ance Indicator (KPI) system within the next
one month.
The first evaluation on the performance
of all ministers and ministries would be
carried out in November this year, he said
at a press conference yesterday.
Najib said he had already held a meet-
ing with Khazanah Nasional Bhd manag-
ing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar to
ensure that there was adequate manpower
to implement the formulation of the KPI
within the period stipulated.
“All ministers will have their per-
formance evaluated within the next six
months and I have fixed November for the
evaluation process on each minister and
ministry,” he said.
He said the KPI system would also
involve the distribution of functions to the
deputy ministers in an orderly manner
First meeting ... Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak chairs the first meeting where each deputy minister would be
assigned a specific task so that they could
of his new cabinet yesterday. Also present were (from left) Information, Communications, Arts and
Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri contribute in whatever action carried out
Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz and Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin by the government.
Yassin and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat. When announcing his new cabinet
line-up last Thursday, Najib said the KPI
approach would be introduced to monitor
the performance and achievements of his
cabinet members to reflect transformation
and a more responsible and focused gov-
ernment with priority given to the people’s
well-being.
Najib said the KPI evaluation system
was not merely to monitor the perform-
ance of the ministers but “it was also a way
of helping the ministers in case they faced
obstacles as a result of decisions made by
the other ministries”.
“So, we can use the evaluation proc-
ess to overcome the obstacles in terms of
implementation and achievements of their
ministries,” he said.
When asked what would happen if the
performance of the ministers and minis-
tries were dissatisfactory in November,
Najib said: “I believe the ministers are
aware that the future of the government
depends on their performance based on
the KPI.
“And they know that they must be
serious in whatever tasks they are doing.
So, I’m convinced that they are capable of
discharging the responsibilities assigned
to them,” he added. – Bernama