LABUAN, Feb 10 — The country’s economic growth and continuous development enjoyed by the people is the result of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s total commitment, says Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

He said the government’s efforts in constantly prioritising the people’s needs was the critical factor in shaping the people’s trust and perceptions.

"When the government delivers services based on the people’s needs and maintains peace, it can increase the people’s satisfaction.

"Therefore, it has been proven the ruling government has successfully maintained the country’s sovereignty, and we call upon the people to continue to rally behind the government for the stability and harmony in our country,” he said at the Kenduri 1 Wilayah, in conjunction with the Federal Territory Day here today.

More than 5, 000 people thronged the annual event held at the Lawn Bowl International Arena compound.

He said the country had "opened its economic path” in 2018, with robust economic growth and the Ringgit’s current upward momentum against the major currencies.

"We can see this positive trend as a result of the Economic Transformation Plan in focusing on the high-impact development projects aimed at stimulating the economy, thus attracting foreign investment,” he added.

Tengku Adnan said after suffering a steep fall in last year’s rankings, Malaysia moved up two spots to the 23rd place out of 137 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2017-2018 Global Competitiveness Report. — Bernama