PUTRAJAYA, Dec 17 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wants emotional bonding to be fostered between national leaders and Administrative and Diplomatic Service (PTD) officers for compatibility in propelling the nation’s vision and aspirations.            

He said the national leadership and PTD, which he regarded as a premier service, must create methods and channels to build very close and friendly ties between the two.              

“This is no political rhetoric, for there must be in our hearts, emotional bonding. This (effort) takes time, but it must be done,” he said at a “Premier Leadership Discourse of the PTD Association with the Prime Minister” attended by about 3,000 PTD officers, here, today.              

In his speech at the event, Najib recalled his late father Tun Abdul Razak’s very close ties with the PTD when he was the country’s leader and hoped to emulate this.              

“My father knew the DOs (district officers) throughout the country by name.

My father even knew their fathers. This mirrored how close the relations were between the national leaders and the administrative officers those days,” he said.

Najib said emotional bonding was required to enable the national leaders and PTD officers to share visions, dreams and aspirations for the nation.              

“What is wanted by the leaders and people is also the agenda of the country’s administrators, that is, to make Malaysia a developed nation with an advanced economy and the well-being of the people secured. So we need to have a common vision and emotional bonding between us.”              

Najib said he also wanted the middle-level PTD officers to be given enough space and opportunities to develop as experienced and well-trained echelon leaders in the public sector.             

“Let’s not come to a stage where we start thinking whether there’s someone who can fill a new post. At any time, there should at least be 12 people who can be the Chief Secretary to the Government,” he said.              

The prime minister also reminded PTD officers to have good communication skills as they belonged to a group in a premier service of the public sector.                               

“Don’t ‘ketaq lutut’ (be shaking in the knees), as the Kedahans say. You must be good communicators, you must be able to articulate (your thoughts). Don’t be tongue-tied or nervous when you meet the press.             

“When the Chief Secretary to the Government (Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa) was asked by the Cabinet to table the RCI report (on illegal immigrants) in Sabah, he did a very good job,” he said.              

Najib also wants PTD officers to help explain the Good and Services Tax (GST) and subsidy rationalisation to the people.              

PTD Association president Datuk Seri Zainal Rahim Seman, in his welcoming speech, said there were now more than 8,000 PTD officers nationwide.              

The discourse was themed, “Creating Legacy Through Transformation”. — Bernama