Najib Abdul Razak said multi-ethnic Malaysia must work towards forging a genuine national identity and that he stands ready to make difficult decisions needed by the country.

In one of his strongest speeches on his 1Malaysia agenda, delivered at the Asia Society in New York on Friday, the Prime Minister acknowledged that there would be entrenched opposition but he was determined to deliver the reforms to bring the people together and place the country on the path of a high-income economy.