‘BN victory shows people’s trust in Najib’

PORT KLANG: The 13th General Election won by Barisan National ( BN) indicated the trust of the Malaysian people in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Pakistani High Commissioner to Malaysia, Shahid Masroor Gul Kiani, said.

“My take on your election is that the election won by BN headed by Prime Minister Najib is a manisfestation of the trust by the people of Malaysia in his leadership and what he has achieved in the last four or five years,” he said.

Met at a reception on board Pakistani Navy Ship ( PNS) Saif, Tuesday night which docked here on Monday for a four- day goodwill visit, Shahid wished the very best to Najib as he embarked on his second term.

“And I look forward to the leaders of both Pakistan and Malaysia to enlarge this excellent relationship,” said the newly appointed High Commissioner.

PNS Saif, a multi-mission frigate capable of operating independently or as a part of a Task Force under multi-threat environment, was commissioned on Sept 15, 2010 in Shanghai China and fitted with state of the art weapons like Surface to Air and Surface to Surface Missiles. The frigate will be opened to the public yesterday.

According to the ship’s commanding officer Captain Jawad Ahmed, PNS Saif’s visit to Southeast Asia was aimed at bringing together the maritime community for a common objective of peace and stability at seas, adding that the visit will not only help in projecting common maritime interests but also contribute towards better understanding of each other’s point of view.

He said that the Pakistan’s Navy enjoyed cordial and brotherly relations with the Royal Malaysian Navy in all professional fields and it was hoped that the visit will open new avenues of bilateral cooperation between the two forces and further strengthen the existing bond of friendship.

In a question and answer session with reporters, he said that the Pakistani Navy was leading the region in counter terrorism and anti-piracy operations.

The PN is part of two international maritime coalitions operating in its area of interest, the first coalition being TF-150 functioning under US NAVCENT in Bahrain where it is conducting Maritime Security and CounterTerrorism Operations in the Gulf of Oman and North Arabian Sea since September 2011.

The PN is also a member of the International Maritime coalition, TF-151 formed in January, 2009 also under US NAVCENT, to combat the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off Somali coast.

“PN participation in these coalitions have added to the prestige of the service and complemented Pakistan’s overall efforts with international community to curb terrorism and other illicit activities from the region,” he said.

Before docking at Port Klang, the PNS Saif had stopped over at Tanjung Priok in Indonesia. After Malaysia the naval ship will sail to Sri Lanka before returning to Pakistan. — Bernama