KOTA MARUDU, April 2 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today stated that Sabah politics still needed to be based on development, the economy and stability to ensure the state’s continued growth and prosperity.
Ahmad Zahid who is also Umno vice-president, said this was because Sabah and its people still hungered for development, including infrastructure such as good roads like the Pan Borneo Highway for comfort and improved standard of living.
“Development needed to be injected into Sabah because of this hunger for development still. God willing, the federal and state governments will together continue to bring development so that the rural residents will also benefit from it.”
He said this at the simultaneous opening of the UMNO branch meetings and that of the Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings in the Kota Marudu division, here.
Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) acting president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, who is also the MP for Kota Marudu.
Ahmad Zahid said Sabah politics also depended on the economy to ensure the state’s people had a per capita income that was at par with that of others in the country, besides increasing job opportunities.
Therefore, he said, Sabah required more domestic and foreign investments including foreign direct investment (FDI) to develop its vast economic potential, including its tourism industry.
“We want political stability in a state. We are not willing to be disunited or be divided. Last time in the party, now out, made conflicting statements between then and now, (and) when in power before, did not do.”
Ahmad Zahid said this without naming any individual but it clearly referred to former rural and regional development minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who is now Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) president.
He said no country in the world would develop without political stability and in the Malaysian context, the one which gave political stability was Barisan Nasional (BN) and its component parties.
Ahmad Zahid said through such political stability, Umno and BN had successfully brought economic development to Sabah and all the growth and prosperity were for Sabahans themselves.
“Who says Sabah is for somebody else? Who says Sabah is for non-Sabahans. Sabah is definitely for Sabahans. Whatever activities, whatever plans made by the state’s current leadership are for Sabahans,” he said.
“In fact, the prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) is willing to give empowerment in many matters, whether as stipulated in the Malaysia Agreement or outside of that. This is for the people of Sabah,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid said if there was any request that had not been met, it could be discussed through negotiations which all this while had been done by the federal and Sabah leaders in the spirit of brotherhood.
He denied claims that the “Sabah for Sabahans” mantra was not being executed and stressed that Najib and the federal ministers from Sabah had in fact given a high level of commitment to ensuring that whatever plans made Sabah were for Sabahans.
Ahmad Zahid said he himself supported any reasonable request made by the people and federal leaders from Sabah, and its state leaders.
“Under the Malaysia Agreement, there are the respective rights of the state and federal governments. When one mentions defence, that’s the federal government’s right, the education allocations come from the federal government and security is also the federal governments’ prerogative,” he said. Thus, he said, with regard to Sabah’s security and sovereignty, the federal government would not allow this to be threatened and would defend it like what happened during the infiltration by southern Philippine terrorists in Tanduo, Lahad Datu.
“Don’t turn sensitive matters into political capital. Don’t play up public sentiments and feelings... Sabahans are not uneducated nor unintelligent people but they are wise (and understand) that Sabah is protected with support from the federal government.”
Ahmad Zahid said although the country was more open and allowed different political ideologies to prevail, sentiments which could divide the people of Sabah, Sarawak and the peninsula as Malaysians and as one country should be avoided and this principle must be upheld.
“We can have different political parties but we cannot ignore national security and unity. This is important as in the federation of Malaysia, a strong sense of belonging among its people should prevail and be heightened. Then only will Malaysia be respected as a developed nation,” he said. — Bernama
