PM WANTS STATE OF SABAH TO REMAIN BN'S "FIXED DEPOSIT"

KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), May 5 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak
wants East Malaysia state of Sabah to remain as the "fixed deposit" for the
ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).

He said that this was to ensure the BN or National Front would continue to
be at the helm of the country's administration.

"A year ago during a gathering here, I had described Sabah as the fixed
deposit for the BN. Today I come to see if the value of that deposit has
remained or has gone down.

"I am very happy to note that Sabah is still the fixed deposit for the BN,"
he said at a dinner with state BN leaders here Monday night.

Najib, who is BN chairman, said that the BN's strength, however, should be
injected with fresh impetus to ensure that the party continued to win the
support of the people.

"The support will not be there forever without the leaders, elected
representatives and members of the administration nurturing it.

"In line with this, I've mooted the '1Malaysia. People First. Performance
Now' concept," he said.

Citing Sabah as the best example of how the "1Malaysia" concept was being
practised, Najib said that although the state had about 45 ethnic groups, the
people were united and lived in peace and harmony.

"What is important is that we are all Malaysians," he said.

Najib also called on BN leaders to carry out walkabouts to get close to the
people at the grassroots level.

"We should go down to the field and see for ourselves the problems faced by
the people because what we hear from the comfort of our air-conditioned office
will not be the same as seeing their actual problems.

"I hope that his approach can be adopted from now on until the coming
general election. The people is getting wiser and they are now demanding that we
listen to them and help them solve their problems," he said.

Najib also said that the federal government would continue to assist Sabah,
particularly in terms of implementing development projects.

"That is why I appointed four ministers and five deputy ministers from
Sabah. Not only that there is an increase in the number, their portfolios have
also been strengthened," he said.

"If previously there is a minister whom the (Sabah) people said only in
charge of museums, that minister is now in charge of rural development.

"The same goes with the post of foreign minister. Who would have thought
that a Sabahan will be appointed to the post, but now this has become a
reality," he said.

The four ministers from Sabah state are Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister Dr Maximus Ongkili, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister
Bernard Dompok, Rural and Regional Development Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal and
Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.

Najib however hoped that those holding posts at the federal level would not
think only of Sabah's interest but also that of the country.
-- BERNAMA