SANDAKAN: Opting for the Opposition is high risk for our economy as Malaysia stands to lose internationally, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Barisan Nasional’s plans to boost economic development were already in place, he said.
With a strong mandate, Najib said the ringgit would strengthen.
He spelt out the risk factors in supporting the Opposition which wanted to review contracts and projects awarded to China such as the East Coast Rail Line (ECRL).
“The cancellation of the contract will sour relations with the Chinese government and may result in economic retaliation by them,” said Najib who is here to shore up support for Barisan candidates in the state.
China, he said, could retaliate by not buying Malaysian palm oil, birds nest and prevent its people from visiting Sabah, citing how a spat between China and South Korea saw the latter’s tourism industry suffer a dip.
Sabah, he said, had benefited from a steady stream of tourists from China.
“We must maintain a good relationship with China, the United States and other countries to benefit us. What happens if they become hostile to us?” he asked.
For Sabah, he said the Government had already laid out its plans to further boost security and infrastructure, promising Sandakan folk a heart centre within five years, two new schools as well as upgrades for the Sandakan airport.
“The election is about choosing the right government that will make your life better,” he said, urging the Chinese community to give their full backing to Barisan’s candidates in the Sandakan parliamentary seat Datuk Lim Ming Hoo and Batu Sapi parliamentary candidate Datuk Linda Tsen as well as the contenders of the four state seats.
Najib said economic success depended on political stability.
“Stability doesn’t mean a weak government, it means a strong Barisan government, which will deliver economic success. Our track record speaks for itself.
“We must be calm and rational in our selection come May 9,” he said.
He also hoped that the people would help ensure that Barisan’s Chinese candidates would win all their seats.
In the previous GE, he said that many voters in Chinese areas opted for DAP candidates and this led to the Cabinet being under-represented by the Chinese community.
“I want strong Chinese representation in BN because I want to take this country to greater heights,” he said.
In another event, Najib said that only Barisan was serious in delivering progress to the people.
“We have to choose a party that can change our lives, not toy with our sentiments or play up slogans to chase personal agenda,” he said at the opening of a school in Batu Sapi, 11km from Sandakan town.
Najib, who is on his third visit to Batu Sapi, said his frequent trips to Sabah reflected his commitment to the state.
“I’ve been here more often in nine years compared to someone who was in office for 22 years,” he said.
In Tawau, Bernama reported Najib as saying that the country’s national reserves were now up to US$110 billion (RM431.8bil) different from 1999 when he (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) was the prime minister and the reserves were only US$20bil (RM78.52bil).
At the event, it was also announced that more than 1,000 members from three Opposition parties had jumped ship to Barisan.
They were 754 members from Parti Warisan Sabah, 156 from two Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri and another 120 from Sabah STAR.
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