Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has released his new website NajibRazak.com. It has been almost 6 years since he started writing his blog 1Malaysia.com.my (September 18th, 2008). In his update on September 5, Najib shared his thoughts on a blog post entitled, “Satu Perjalanan Yang Penuh Makna” (“What A Remarkable Journey”).
He reminiscences on his first video post welcoming visitors onto his site and introducing Malaysians on the concept of 1Malaysia. Through this website, he was able to hear the voices of fellow Malaysians and communicate with them regarding the issues concerning the nation. With this in mind, the NajibRazak.com site was developed.
Najib expressed his condolences regarding the loss of flights MH370 and MH17, adding that 2014 has been a hard year for Malaysia. He hoped that citizens will unite during this harsh time.
Najib went on to discuss the ideals behind the creation of 1Malaysia, an effort to unite citizens in a common goal to better the nation. He added that this effort should not be the sole responsibility of the government, but a cause that should be worked on by all Malaysians. He hoped that the new website would be a suitable platform for citizens to play a proactive role in improving Malaysia, regardless of difference in race, religion or political beliefs.
The new website serves as a continuation f0r 1malaysia.com.my. Both sites are still up and running, with the primary difference that 1Malaysia.com.my is an interactive site to encourage participation and NajibRazak.com is a blog for Malaysia’s Prime Minister.
Updates on 1Malaysia.com.my
A quick look at the interactive section of 1Malaysia.com.my revealed a Photo Contest that is happening from September 5, 2014 to October 6, 2014. The subject of the entry is to “Share the story of 1Malaysia and/or visualize the core values of 1Malaysia”. Entries are to be submitted to the website by the due date and must be accompanied by 25 words or less describing the picture (and how it relates to being Malaysian). Winning picture would be used on 1Malaysia.com.my and the winner would be able to get a tour of Seri Perdana, as well as a tea session with the Prime Minister of Malaysia himself. Read more about the contest here!
Another useful function included in the updated website is the “1Malaysia Products” page which links to many useful 1Malaysia products and initiatives implemented to aid the citizens.
Purpose of NajibRazak.com?
NajibRazak.com, according to its FAQ, is the personal website of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak and it is not run by any ministry or government agency. The website is geared towards both Malaysians and non-Malaysians alike as an information sharing site. It is not run solely by the Prime Minister, though he fully participates and shares his thoughts through blogs and video posts.
He has a team to help him with the comments and feedbacks from visitors. Like most sites, the comments are carefully screened to ensure no inappropriate content is allowed onto the site, so if you leave a comment, don’t worry if it doesn’t appear immediately. Readers are encouraged to check the site for daily updates, subscribe and contribute to the site by commenting!
Both sites are available in English and Bahasa Melayu. This is a great effort by the Malaysian Prime Minister to reach out to the technology-obsessed generation. By creating a blog that is interactive, fun and useful, citizens will be more encouraged to be involved in the happenings of Malaysia. The photo-taking contest will be particularly useful for generating an interest in the theme of 1Malaysia and 1Malaysia.com. In addition, the promise of new daily content (blog post + picture of the day + video of the day) will sway readers to subscribe to the NajibRazak.com website.
Perhaps the most important feature of the website, however, is the ability to give readers and insight to the Prime Minister of Malaysia. His blog posts allow citizens to feel closer to him as a person and understand some of the tough decisions he had to make in order to better the country. Just last month he published a post regarding the decision to salvage Malaysia Airlines from the dark abyss it has fallen into. He explained that the reason behind saving MAS as our national carrier was fueled by the importance of the airline to Malaysia’s history as well as its position as a symbol of national pride.
The site does not just allow us to voice our concerns and thoughts to the Prime Minister, it allows us to understand why he makes the decisions he does. Hopefully with this slightly more personal platform, Malaysians are able to reach out to the Prime Minister and that he will respond to those comments and requests made by them.