"Fellow Malaysians, let us thank God for it is with His blessings that we will be celebrating tomorrow the 51st anniversary of our nation's independence.

Our nation has been witness to various events in the one year since we celebrated the country's 50th anniversary of independence.

After the 12th general election on March 8, the nation had to put up with a food supply crisis and an increase in fuel prices which led to a rise in the prices of goods and the rate of inflation. All these proved to be major challenges for us and raised many questions and caused worry among the people. Are we capable of handling the situation?

We will continue to tackle the problem of the higher prices of goods and inflation as best we can. The Government is always sensitive to the burden that has to be borne by the people, particularly the poor and low income group as well as the needy. With this in mind, the Government will always take the necessary measures. In fact, it has begun to implement various initiatives to help the people adjust themselves to the situation and ease the burden they have had to bear.

As I had announced during my Budget 2009 speech yesterday, the social safety net will be improved and extended. The eligibility criteria for welfare assistance under the Welfare Department will be raised according to the regions, in accordance with the current level of poverty line income. With this rise, the number of eligible recipients will double, from 54,000 households to 110,000.

At the same time, the social safety net programme mechanism will be strengthened so that the eligible recipients will be able to get their aid without having to go through the hassle of administrative red tape.

The Government will also implement various initiatives to ensure adequate supply of food at reasonable prices. In line with the food security policy, the measures being implemented include establishing a food stockpile, giving incentives to farmers and fishermen to encourage higher output as well as utilising idle land for cultivation of food crops.

Besides this, the Government will continue to provide subsidies for food items such as rice, flour, cooking oil and bread. The Government will strive hard to ensure that the people's quality of life is maintained as best as possible in the face of the diverse challenges of the global economic situation.

In the long term, I am convinced that our country is on the right track to becoming a developed nation which can compete with and be on par with or even higher than the other developed countries of the world.

In the economic aspect, the fundamentals would continue to be strengthened so that the objective of developing a country with a higher economic standard and efficiency based on knowledge will be achieved.

In the socio-economic context, we should rightly take pride in the fact that the emphasis and focus of the Government on efforts to eradicate poverty have borne fruit. From year to year, there has been an encouraging drop in the rate of poverty and hardcore poverty. In the period from 2004 to 2007, the level of income of the people in the rural and urban areas had also risen, with the percentage rise in the rural areas double that in the urban areas.

With this development, there has been a successful reduction in the gap in income level between the urban and rural areas. The gap in income level among the ethnic communities has also narrowed. With the continuing efforts, I am determined to ensure that the Government's objective under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) to eliminate hardcore poverty and reduce overall poverty to 3% by 2010 is achieved.

In terms of community values and way of life, the Government will continue to take the necessary steps and redouble efforts so that the desired physical development is realised by a Malaysian community that is more matured and of integrity. As such, the focus will be on developmental aspects based more on knowledge, culture and the mind.

More attention has been and will be given to measures to improve the education system, assimilation of noble values such as integrity, media openness and strengthening of national institutions such as parliament, the judicial system, the Anti-Corruption Agency, the Royal Malaysia Police and so on. The public service institution will continue to be strengthened so that it can always give world-class service to Malaysians.

Nevertheless, the Government would not be able to realise these aspirations and objectives on its own. The Government needs the support of all quarters, from the private sector to the NGOs and, most of all, the people themselves. The real test for a nation and its people comes when the nation is faced with a grave situation and how the people act to tackle it. Malaysia has never been free of all kinds of challenges and obstacles. Nevertheless, praise be to God, we have been able to successfully tackle every one of these challenges and obstacles.

We have not only successfully faced these obstacles but have gone beyond that. We have successfully developed this country to a level which we can all be proud of.

I am convinced and I believe that all the trials which we are facing today can be overcome if we continue to remain united and work together with firm determination and fulfil our responsibilities respectively.

It is my hope that every Malaysian will be able to appreciate and realise the importance of solidarity amongst us. A united people is a strong national bulwark against any threat, whether from within or outside the country.

Solidarity is the cornerstone of the nation's political stability, social harmony and economic competitiveness.

In fact, the world has great respect for and is impressed with Malaysia because not many countries with a multiracial population exist with tolerance, peace and harmony.

Talking of peace, I wish to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Government and all Malaysians, to record our greatest appreciation and gratitude to the country's armed forces, soldiers and policemen who have discharged their duties with full commitment and dedication based on undivided loyalty to the nation in safeguarding peace and security for the sake of us Malaysians.

Our struggle has a long way to go. Much remains to be done. Our objective is to create a developed nation in our own mould, a developed nation which promises a glorious life and future for every citizen regardless of race, religion and ethnicity. I am confident and believe that it is not impossible to achieve this objective so long as we Malaysians remain united and work together by discarding all differences and prejudices and rise as one people with the resolve to face all foes and challenges.

No one citizen is recognised as being of a higher position than another in this nation. This nation belongs to all of us. Whether we rise or fall as a nation, depends on all of us.

Here's wishing you all a happy 51st National Day." - Bernama