KOTA KINABALU: Reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to help Sabah, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) has offered to hear what can be done to further develop the state.
“Come (let’s) discuss among friends: What else do we need to fix and do to push for more economic development for Sabah?”
Addressing the Chinese community last night, the Prime Minister said any issues can be ironed out through discussions and negotiations without having to use harsh words or having to lash out.
“You say to me ‘lu siao ah’ (which means ‘are you crazy’ in Hokkien dialect) but when you need something, you come to ask (me for it)?” he said.
Anwar said he is aware that neither he nor the government are perfect.
“But we always strive to help the people, including those in Sabah,” he explained.
Anwar also said the presence of Pakatan Harapan in the state is not because it wants to become the chief minister but to strengthen federal-state relations and to have better development policies and plans for Sabah.
In terms of development and allocations, Anwar said it is unfair to say that he has not done anything for Sabah when in fact, funding for the state is the highest among all the states this year.
The Prime Minister said it is vital for all parties to maintain peace so that the country can continue to enjoy progress.
“We must not take our peaceful coexistence for granted.
“We have to continue to work at it to maintain peace,” he said, adding that a little bit of conflict is solvable but too much is unacceptable.
He said the government and the people must be tolerant and work with each other to find solutions.
