PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has called on civil servants to ensure the country's economy remains resilient in the difficult times ahead.

"No one can work alone, think only for himself and expect to be safe from the (economic) woes.

"This is the time we must think of collective safety, security and prosperity.

"There must be collective effort among us. Your effort is extremely important to help the government weather the storm.

"I am appealing to you to understand this problem and that we must work together to fulfil our promises to the people," he said at the Prime Minister's Department monthly gathering yesterday.

Abdullah said the country was blessed with a resilient and strong economy and that was why it did not experience recession when most parts of the world were facing an economic meltdown.

He said the nation's banking sector was sound, the domestic consumption was good and the Government still had considerable savings which allowed it to spend to further boost economic activities.

"With predictions that the world economy will be gloomy this year, we need to ensure that our economy continues to be strong and resilient," he said.

Abdullah said the civil servants' role was important. He said this was because they were involved in the implementation and administration of many projects that the Government had planned.