KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he would prefer to receive a warm welcome at events instead of lavish decorations.
Citing an example, he commended the locals in Kuala Selangor who accorded him a heartfelt welcome during a recent visit.
"I was happy to see that there were neither red carpets nor bunga manggar (a traditional Malay decorative item).
"Instead, they gave me a warm welcome, as what I had expressed previously. Well done to the organiser," he wrote in his Facebook page this evening.
Najib said such decorations are not important as it will only distance himself from the rakyat, and create an impression that there are many protocols and that it is difficult to approach him.
He added that it is also a form of waste and should be avoided except when official protocols are a must, such as when receiving foreign dignitaries.
Najib also called on Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders and senior government officials to remember that their main focus is to interact with the rakyat, and to do away with protocols which are restrictive.
"I hope that this approach can be emulated in all future programmes involving me or other leaders," said Najib, who is also BN chairman.