Putrajaya's annual financial allocations for the BN lawmakers will be increased from the RM5 million each MP currently gets annually.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Gerik Umno division delegates today, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said further details would be announced soon.

"Before it was RM1 million, now it is RM5 million but next year there will be more. I will make an announcement about what we can do," Bernama quotes Najib as telling the delegates.

BN now has 134 MPs, which means that their current annual allocation costs taxpayers RM670 million.

Typically, these funds are used for small projects in their constituencies, such as for hospitals, drainage and schools.

Opposition MPs have no access to these funds.

Keep PM, Umno president strong

Earlier in his speech, Najib said that the position of the prime minister and Umno president must be strong to ensure the success and strength of the country.

Najib, who is also the Umno president, said both 'institutions' need the support of the people, especially Umno members, so that the posts can gain respect, not in a personal capacity.

"The prime minister and Umno president can only stand firm if the support of Umno members for the prime minister and Umno president remains strong," he said when opening the delegates meeting at Dewan Serbaguna Gerik in Perak.

Najib said he was always ready to accept criticism in his administration of the country and party but such criticism needed to be through the proper channel.

"As the president, I wish to stress that in an organisation there must be proper conformity, there must be discipline. Not that there will be no differences in opinion, but such opinions must be voiced out behind closed doors.

"I have said I can be criticised but there is a place and way to do it. If criticism is thrown out (in public), the one that will be damaged is our party. One can criticise, as so long as it is done 'through the proper channel'.

"To control an organisation, there must be discipline, only then will the party be strong. I am a normal human being and can be criticised or questioned, but it must be done in accordance with the principles of the party. When we say something there must be a basis," Najib said.

"If a minister, deputy prime minister have differences, come and seek information, give opinion, even contradictory also no problem. But outside we must speak as one. That is the party's discipline."

We've always solved problems

Najib said BN had often faced problems but has always been able to overcome such crises, citing the sacking of the then deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, just before the 1999 general election, as an example.

"I faced the brunt of voters in Pekan. And as a result, I only won by a 241-vote majority. However, we managed to turn it around in the 2004 general election by winning the same seat with a 24,000-vote majority," he said.

The prime minister said if there was a defeat, Umno and BN would reorganise strategies to strengthen the party and restore the support of the people.

Najib said during the 1987 Umno election, half of the members did not support the party president, who won by only 41 votes and that led to the de-registration of Umno.

"We had to form Umno Baru and I was the Youth chief then. We had trust in the leadership. When we trusted the leadership, we moved as one unit and the major crisis was overcome. Umno once again became a strong party, he said.

Najib said as long as he was in power, he would ensure Malaysia achieved the developed nation status and with the support of the people, the country would move forward.