Security boost for Sabah
(The Star) – Voicing his gratitude to Sabahans for giving the Barisan 22 of the 25 parliament seats, Najib said the people had displayed their political maturity.
A military camp is to be built at Felda Sahabat in the east coast Lahad Datu district not far away from the site of the Sulu gunmen intrusion in February.
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said this was among the various measures needed to boost Sabah’s security that included improving intelligence gathering networks as well as providing sufficient security personnel and deploying the latest technology.
The security boost was among the three priority areas for Sabah, the Prime Minister said at the breaking of fast with state Barisan Nasional component party leaders and members here yesterday.
He said the other thrusts for the state were accelerating development programmes, especially in rural areas, apart from safeguarding the people’s welfare and interests.
‘’In terms of development, we realise Sabah has to play a catch-up game. We want to see the development gap between the state and peninsula being reduced,” Najib added.
‘’We will give due attention to Sabah and provide the necessary financial allocations within our capacity.”
Voicing his gratitude to Sabahans for giving the Barisan 22 of the 25 parliament seats, Najib said the people had displayed their political maturity.
“Sabahans have shown that it is not simply a matter of changing the government but changing the lives of the people and this is what Barisan has done and will continue to do,’’ he added.
Earlier, he said the momentum of support that the ruling Barisan enjoyed in Sabah during the 13th general election must be maintained.
He added that the Barisan component parties in the state should thus be making the necessary preparations for the next polls.
This was among Najib’s advice given to senior Sabah Umno leaders during a 90-minute meeting with them at the start of his two-day visit to Sabah.
Umno vice-president Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal said Najib had also voiced his appreciation to the people of Sabah and Sarawak for their solid support for Barisan.
He is scheduled to be in Kuching today.
