Four Factors Making People Enjoy Phjum Ben<\/strong><\/p>\nI hope that everyone had been joyful celebrating Pjum Ben day. The Pjum Ben celebration this year had been in an environment of peace and safety. It was nothing like a statement by a foreigner that warned their citizens about security in Cambodia. Nothing had happened. On the other hand, nuclear confrontation between North Korea and the US was almost reaching its peak. Cambodians must trust themselves. Cambodians have the capacity to defend its security, peace, political stability, and development. We did not falter because of some powerful countries\u2019 instigating intimidations. Our people went everywhere in the country in the course of celebrating the traditional and religious Pjum Ben Day. As every other year, Phnom Penh was left quiet as people deserted it to distant destinations \u2013 mostly their native places to be with their parents and relatives.<\/p>\n
Peace Allows Cambodian People to Travel for Celebrations<\/em><\/p>\nI am so happy to see that factories owners had responded positively to my recommendation and those of the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training to pay workers their salaries (prior to the celebration of Pjum Ben). As for the civil servants and armed forces, we had also done the same [\u2026] there are four factors that allowed our people to celebrate Pjum Ben in a joyfully smooth manner. The first factor would be peace. It is the most critical factor that allowed such a celebration free from fear, either one from terrorism or one from guerrilla warfare as in the past. On the contrary, our people travelled not only during daytime but also at night [\u2026]<\/p>\n
Infrastructural Connectivity<\/em><\/p>\nSecondly, we have infrastructural connectivity from one area to the others. Though we have not yet achieved what we wanted completely, the current infrastructure allowed our people to travel everywhere they would wish to in the whole country. In 2000, even a while later, though the country reached peace, people could not travel as they pleased either for visiting relatives or for celebrations because of absence of passable roads and bridges. As for the present time, infrastructural connectivity is visible everywhere from roads, to bridges and to flight. Some even travelled from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Preah Sihanouk provinces by air. Infrastructural connectivity \u2013 mainly transports and communication is indeed a prioritized policy of the Royal Government of Cambodia [\u2026]<\/p>\n
Means of Transportations<\/em><\/p>\nThirdly, people have their own modes and means of transportations. According to statistics, for Phnom Penh only, we have nearly half a million cars and over one million motorcycles. Judging by this number, should only 50% of the means of transportations be in the street, there would be congestions. In addition to those, we also have passenger minibuses and buses. This has told a huge difference between what Cambodia was in 1979, after liberation from Pol Pot\u2019s genocide regime, and the present [\u2026]<\/p>\n
People\u2019s Incomes<\/em><\/p>\nThe fourth factor is indeed the fact that our people have had their incomes. Take for instance, our workers here, should they have no income, how could they go and celebrate Pjum Ben? Even more factual, should there be no factories or enterprises, you also would not have chances to be here but worked in the field or in other jobs with your parents. It was because our people have their incomes, and it has been increasing, thanks to the consideration and attention of the Royal Government, our workers, and over half a million civil servants, and the armed forces have received their salaries and bonus for Pjum Ben prior to its celebration [\u2026]<\/p>\n
An Important Guest from PRC<\/strong><\/p>\nTaking this opportune moment I wish to take this opportunity on behalf of the Royal Government to express my sincere appreciation and thanks for the local authorities of all levels and the armed forces, pagodas for their organizations and facilitations that allowed our people to travel and celebrate the 15 days traditional and religious Pjum Ben Day. It had been unfortunate for me that I failed to go even to one pagoda. I hope that my parents have already reborn [\u2026] though I am sure that they would understand about my busy engagements.<\/p>\n
On the Pjum Ben Day, I had had a dialogue on cooperation between Cambodia and the People\u2019s Republic of China within the framework of strategic partnership. Along with the meeting, we also had a meal together to continue to exchange thoughts on issues relating to ways to promote Cambodian economic growth through cooperation it has with the People\u2019s Republic of China. Samdech Pichey Sena Tia Banh and some other leaders were also with me on that day [\u2026]<\/p>\n
ADB \u2013 Cambodia\u2019s Economic Growth Will Be 7.1% for 2017-18<\/strong><\/p>\n\u2026 You may note that for works that you are doing everyday now, and the income you are making, though it is not as much as you wish it to be, they are never falling from the sky or handing to you by the opposition. It was because of efforts made by the ruling Party, the Royal Government under the leadership of the Cambodian People\u2019s Party. Some people who have followed news or economic development would have known by now about the prospect that the Cambodian economic growth, predicted by the Asian Development Bank, for 2017-18, will reach a new figure of 7.1%. It will be more than what we have planned, though we did in fact expect to have reached within 7% \u2013 more or less. If we were to have a bad government as some people had blamed the Cambodian economy would not have achieved a stable growth of 7% per annum or 7.7% in average over the last 20 years [\u2026]<\/p>\n
Maintaining Peace for Development<\/strong><\/p>\nWe are not going to stop here. We will make further efforts to continue to implement our 2015-2025 policy for the industrial development to bring our country from low to lower-middle income country by the year 2030 and a developed country by the year 2050. Though I know that I will not stay alive that long, my team has put together a vision or a road map, if you may, for the journey forwards of Cambodia. We have plans for development of electricity (energy), ports, airports, and many other long-term ones [\u2026]<\/p>\n
However, the work we should continue is to join hands in keeping peace for the sake of development. Would there be no peace, there would be no development. That was the experience your grandparents and parents had gone through. When the country was at war, what development did we make? We had some 2.7 million tons of bombs in our land. I hope that the US administration will review what they should do in Cambodia. If they can, they should not come and search for their MIA remains in our country but take back their bombs. There is a bomb in Svay Rieng thought to be a chemical one [\u2026] I hope the US Ambassador who traveled to Kompong Som for holiday too will visit the bomb in Svay Rieng and suggest what to do with it. It is the US responsibility. They should hold on to it [\u2026]<\/p>\n
I hope he will be paying attention on this issue. We cannot leave it there. It is dangerous and people are scared. As it is a chemical bomb, explosion in an inappropriate manner would be disastrous to human. You may take it back to your country or dispose it in any ocean. Let the US plane carry it. [\u2026] as you can see, we had bitter experiences from war in which foreigners ordered and\/or commanded Cambodians. Similar thing was about to repeat itself. However, I am sure our people would not leave their country under foreign influence because that would destroy peace and cause war, a major reason for no development. We must work together to keep peace and development as we already have done.<\/p>\n
Please Allow Muslim Female Workers to Wear Their Own Dresses<\/strong><\/p>\nBefore ending this speech, I may try to make appeal to factories owners and entrepreneurs to address this issue of dress codes for Muslim female workers. If they can, I am asking them to allow Muslim female workers to dress their own ways. The Royal Government has allowed Muslim female students to put on their Muslim dresses as they go to study in any foundations. I learnt from some TV reports that they on the contrary have difficulties to get jobs in factories and\/or enterprises unless they leave their Muslim dresses for the dress codes required by the companies. I am asking for understanding here and we must ensure harmonization of races and religions in the Kingdom of Cambodia [\u2026] I hope that HE Minister will discuss with companies and the Cambodia Development Council to find a solution to this issue, and there would be many Muslim female workers too. This would also strengthen further harmonization of races and religions in Cambodia [\u2026] I also demand that we do not use extreme words [\u2026] I hope the Muslims see how the Royal Government responds to their c<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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