BEAUFORT, Feb 14 – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today announced an allocation of RM226 million to build a water treatment plant here as part of the Beaufort new town development programme.
The prime minister also approved the Islamic College Beaufort project to be undertaken jointly by the federal government as well as the construction of a middle school for the Chinese community.
In addition, he said the government had previously approved an allocation of RM49 million for the Limbawang-Kayul pipe-laying project which was 59 per cent completed for the benefit of local residents. Speaking to a crowd of more than 20,000 at padang pekan here, he said the big turnout indicated that the BN would retain the Beaufort parliamentary seat.
“The opposition is daydreaming if they think they can wrest Beaufort, Papar, Kimanis and Tuaran. They want capture all, but Sabah remains with the BN,” he said to a thunderous applause from the crowd.
The Beaufort parliamentary seat is held by former Umno division chief Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin, who won it in 2008, but relinquished all posts in Umno in July last year.
Najib, who is also BN chairman, said there was no dearth of BN leaders, who came from every nook and corner of the country and have their own approaches to change the people’s destiny.
“We’ve lost a local leader, but he cannot be bigger that the party and the struggle continues. The party remains superior and strong as written in the annals of history.
“When Umno founder the late Datuk Onn Jaafar left the party, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman took over the leadership for the party is larger than individual interests,” said Najib, adding that the people of Beaufort should be able to judge the former leader who run down the government after he quit the party.
The prime minister said the people should give the BN government more time to continue to bring changes through various transformation programmes in the quest to achieve the developed nation status.
Najib, who is also finance minister, said the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) would be followed by the BR1M 3 if the BN were given a new mandate in the 13th general election.
“BR1M 2 is better that BR1M 1 and BR1M 3… we’ll wait for the next announcement because tomorrow is better than today, because we have done many things here for Beaufort already has a hospital, a sports complex, a vocational
school, a community college, and others,” he said.
Present were Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok,
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, and Sabah Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun.
At the function, 15 Parti Keadilan Rakyat members headed by its Beaufort branch chief Adnan Mohd Ali submitted their applications to join Umno. Najib also signed a plaque signifying the launch of the Beaufort new town development plan.
BERNAMA
