Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has urged the staff at government-owned public transport company Prasarana Malaysia Bhd to adopt a culture of high performance in their work.

He said they had to strive for zero defects in the public transport system, because it was a matter close to people’s hearts.

In a light-hearted tone, he said he would otherwise be blamed whenever there was a breakdown in the system.

“We must strive for zero defects, meaning that there must be no faults in our service that would lead to a breakdown. It means that we must have a very high benchmark, because whenever it happens, the prime minister gets the blame.

“Malaysia is strange - if fuel prices rise, usually the prime minister is blamed; if fuel prices drop, no one gives praises. Fuel prices had dropped two consecutive times, but no one is congratulating the prime minister […]

“So ladies and gentlemen, please understand why I am emphasising this. It is because they often blame the prime minister, whereas we are one government that has its branches and systems.

“Sometimes it may be one technician who made a mistake on the ground, or we didn't do our checks properly. When the system breaks down, the government gets the blame,” he told his audience this afternoon, who laughed in response to his observation.

He was holding a dialogue session with Prasarana staff in Kuala Lumpur today.

In his speech, he urged the staff to take pride in their work, and treat it as though it is a work of art to be perfected.

He said Prasarana is estimated to have brought economic returns exceeding RM13.3 billion last year, in terms of time savings for passengers, reduced traffic congestion, and other benefits.

The figure is expected to increase to RM17 billion this year and would be even higher if the mode share of public transport increases from the current 21 percent to the 40 percent target (by 2030). Mode share refers to the proportion of passengers or trips that use a particular means of transport, in this case, public transport.

“That’s why I want to tell all Prasarana staff today that the work you do is not a normal job. In short, it is not just a job and you should not see it as routine.

“In reality, you are making a huge and significant contribution to the country,” he said.