KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Governments must demonstrate the commitment to effective government and open politics to address the needs of the citizens and challenges of the age, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He said effective government meant that the government could respond to three significant changes, namely technological, demographic and developmental.

“Effective government means showing that we can navigate complex problems and find equitable solutions. It means delivering on people’s development expectations and cutting through the cynicism which says that government is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

“Meanwhile, open politics means increasing participation in the political process, embracing greater transparency and improving the state of democracy within our parties, reforming internal processes and distancing ourselves from money politics,” he said.

Najib, who is also Umno president, said this in his keynote address at the two-day Umno International Forum themed ‘The Politics of Moderation Accommodates and Balances Competing Principles That Leads to Peace and Stability’ held in conjunction with 2013 Umno General Assembly here today.

Najib said the three significant changes were common to the societies around the world.

“We now have technology that supports a much wider and deeper range of public involvement in policy-making, with ‘open source government’ and open data breaking down traditional divides.

“We should honour not just the traditions, but also the future direction of technology towards greater openness and information sharing by preserving the Internet as a space for free discussion and bringing more government functions into clear view,” he said.

He noted that over the past six month, the globalisation of communications had opened up new risks to individual privacy and state sovereignty.

“There has been an increased level of spying conducted by some of our allies. As we work to combat terrorism and organised crime, we must guard against access that compromises individual liberties and poisons public trust,” he said.

Speaking on the second change, Najib said countries with youthful populations must find opportunities for young people to ensure that they would have a stake in the society.

Addressing demographic change would require responsive politics and willingness to take on difficult questions of responsibility between generations and entitlement between people, he said.

“We should muster the courage to take decisions for the long-term, not just the next electoral cycle, for demographic change demands policy foresight.

“It also requires a commitment to the principles of moderation, of tolerance, respect and understanding. We should seek solutions which are inclusive, not divisive,” he said.

Najib said the third change concerned development, which for the developing world, the challenge was to unlock truly equitable growth, so that citizens benefit from greater income and improved living standards.

“And for all nations, there is a pressing need to adapt to a new era of sustainability — environmental, economic and social. The development which brings the next wave of countries to ‘first-world’ status must be cleaner, fairer and more sustainable than the last,” he said.

For socially responsible development, Najib said governments should affirm their commitment to education and labour market reforms as a means of undoing inequality.

“We should embrace greater gender equality, as studies show the more equal a society is, the more competitive it is. And we should put a policy premium on socially responsible development, with incentives to grow social businesses and a business culture that gives profit and social value equal weight,” he said.

Approximately 125 delegates from more than 30 political parties in 25 countries are attending the forum. — Bernama