KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional has once again dug up the past Tanduo intrusion incident as a testimony of the party’s commitment towards helping and serving the state.
Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that while many political parties were now crying Sabah for Sabahans, and pushing for a local-based party to lead the state, Barisan, a Malaya-based party, and the people from peninsula Malaysia were the ones who came to Sabah to fight at that time.
“You cry Sabah for Sabahans. But we also do things for Sabah,” he said.
“During the Tanduo intrusion, it was we from Malaya who came to fight. It was these (peninsula Malaysians) who were the ones to negotiate with the intruders,” Ahmad Zahid said.
He asked the people to recall, who were the ones who went to ground zero, who were the ones who made the order to deploy assets to fight the war at that time?
“And who was the one who set up the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom)? It was Datuk Seri Najib Razak,” he said.
The Tanduo intusion is reference to the 2013 Lahad Datu invasion by Sulu militants in Kampung Tanduo.
Najib was prime minister and Barisan chairman at that time.
Ahmad Zahid said for Barisan, all states are Malaysians and therefore should be treated as Malaysians.
He said not everything should be politicised, because there were matters that needed to be done for the benefit of the state and its people.
He also said that in the past, Barisan had raised the issue of Sabah’s 40% entitlement and they had been fighting for this right for many years, not only now.
“We had mentioned in the past too, what was accidentally taken or overlooked must be returned to Sabah,” said Ahmad Zahid, adding that it was necessary to correct people’s perception of Barisan.
Speaking on the coming state election, he said Barisan was willing to work with any party it needed to as long as they could form a government and bring developments to the state.
“Because I know there is no single party or single coalition that can form the state government. So we are willing to work with any party which can help to implement change for the state of Sabah,” he said.
Earlier, Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said those who are screaming Sabah for Sabahans were leaders who were once from Umno, but left the party.
“They are all ‘kaki lompat’ (party hoppers),” he said, adding that it was alright for Sabah Barisan to be in the opposition for the time being, because he believed they would be able to rise up again.
