Najib sees need for separate policy
By Philip Wong, The Borneo Post
SIBU: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said no other party can bring Sarawak to a different level of development other than the Barisan Nasional coalition.
“The DAP or for that matter, any other parties can only dream of bringing Sarawak to a different level of development,” he said at the New Vision Tea Reception held at RH Hotel here yesterday.
He said conditions in the state were different from other states in Malaysia and only a Sarawakian would know best on how to administer the state and pointed out that the population of the state was sparsely scattered across a vast area.
Taib added that Peninsular Malaysia had the population critical mass to spur development and greater changes.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was clearly aware of these differences and the need for a separate policy to administer the state.
The chief minister described Najib as the most accommodative prime minister towards the need of the Sarawakians.
“He knows about Sarawak’s needs and he knows Sarawak had to catch up with the other states.”
“This is the first time in the history of Malaysia that a prime minister thinks of Sarawak as a separate state.”
He urged the people to value that recognition and make sure that they would not lose the chance to see Sarawak move forward.
The gathering, organised jointly by Sibu United Association, Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce, United Association of Private Chinese Secondary Schools board of management, Sibu Division and United Association of Chinese Primary-Aided Schools board of management, Sibu and Kapit Division, saw the handing over of a memorandum of understanding on Chinese education to the chief minister.
Among those present were Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Temenggong Vincent Lau Lee Ming and the leaders of the various Chinese-based associations.
