"Choose Economic Progress and Prosperity For All"
Urges Prime Minister Badawi as Malaysian General Election Campaign Gets Underway KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA -- (MARKETWIRE) -- 02/24/08 -- Malaysian
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi today said that Malaysians can look
forward to a future of economic progress and prosperity for all with
Barisan Nasional (the governing coalition), as campaigning officially
starts Sunday in the 2008 General Election. In total some 222
parliamentary seats will be contested in the Malaysian general
election when voting occurs on 8th March.

Prime Minister Badawi added that Malaysia's strong economic,
performance had been achieved "thanks to the sound economic decisions
we have taken over the last four years to encourage growth,
employment, social equity, wealth creation and steady growth in
international trade and investment." Malaysia's progress is being
built not by providence but "by proven leadership," he said.

"Now the Malaysian people have a choice about their future. I am
confident they will choose the path of proven economic progress and
prosperity for all which can only be achieved by increasing our
international competitiveness, reducing budget deficits, and bringing
growth, investment and job opportunities to all parts of Malaysia."

"As the world's economy enters challenging times, proven leadership
on the economy couldn't be more important for the future of
Malaysia," said the Prime Minister.

Malaysia's economy grew by an estimated 6.3 percent in 2007, and is
expected to maintain a similar growth rate in 2008 despite the U.S.
slowdown. Nearly $14 billion of foreign direct investment in
manufacturing and service sectors poured into Malaysia last year, a
69 percent increase year-on-year, including sizeable investments by
investors ranging from General Electric of the United States to
Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

Mr Badawi described the election contest as a choice between two
starkly different futures for Malaysia.

One is Barisan Nasional's vision of Malaysia as a modern, progressive
Islamic country founded on security, peace and prosperity for all,
confident in its outlook and with a growing competitiveness in the
Asia region and the global marketplace.

The other is a more insular, dogmatic and divisive future championed
by a "coalition of convenience that moves in opposite directions." He
described the opposition alliance that includes the socialist leaning
Democratic Action Party and the conservative Islamic party PAS, which
is committed to the introduction of Sharia law, as a "pact of
convenience with no shared beliefs or ideology."

As campaigning began Sunday, the prime minister said he would stress
the choice between a forward-thinking Malaysia with an open economy
that is both pro-business at home and competitive in new markets and
an opposing "coalition of convenience" which would take Malaysia
backwards.

The election, Mr. Badawi said, "is about who is best placed to bring
about the progressive change Malaysia needs to meet the challenges of
globalisation" and to move Malaysia up the value chain as a
developing country in a high-growth region of the world. Mr Badawi
has said repeatedly that in an Asia dominated by China and India the
aim is to engage and trade rather than to fear competition from
economic giants.

Throughout the campaign Prime Minister Badawi said he would be making
his case directly to the people, urging them to choose a future for
Malaysia which is modern, progressive and built on security, peace
and prosperity for all ethnic components of this multicultural
society.

Contacts:
Barisan Nasional
Chong Sin Woon
+6019 3685481
Email: news@bn2008.org.my