Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud had earlier said he would stay only step down “in a few years’ time” despite calls from the opposition to quit immediately on charges of running Malaysia’s largest state like a personal fiefdom.
The prime minister, who had said there was already a plan for Taib to hand over power, piled criticism upon Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties, claiming that the opposition pact was fractured and unable keep its own house in order.
“We have seen how Sarawak has developed so quickly. I thank the government of Sarawak led by Taib for working so closely with the federal government to develop Sarawak.
“Insyaallah, we will do our best for the future of Sarawakians,” Najib told a crowd of more than a thousand people at the 1 Malaysia concert here.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman said that over the past few days, banners propagating a need for change in Sarawak have been put up across the state by the opposition.
He criticised the message, predicting that the opposition’s recipe for change would be result in a messy situation for the hornbill state.
“Changes can also be made through the Barisan Nasional as a government, where we can bring plenty of development for Sarawak and Malaysia.
Najib urged Sarawakians not to be taken in by PR’s “lies” and warned voters against voting impulsively and destroying their futures.
He accused PR’s parties of being in disarray and divided, claiming they were even unable to handle their own party elections.
“Look at how their candidates are, they are unable to manage their own party elections, many MPs have defected, their secretary-general had also quit.
“Do not destroy your future. Choose a government, a BN government and we will do our best for your future,” he promised.
Najib also countered PR’s accusations that his six-day campaign in Sarawak showed he was worried about BN’s performance in the April 16 polls, claiming that his presence was because he wanted to show the people here that he cared.
“They ask why I am always coming to Sarawak. I am telling them, I come to Sarawak because I want the state to be developed.
“I am here because I want to show that the federal government will work with the state government and we will continue to grow with development,” he said.
He added that Sarawak had received the largest allocation for projects under the government’s National Key Results Areas (NKRA), showing the ruling administration’s sincerity in wanting to develop the state.
“We have allocated Sarawak RM5.7 billion until 2012 for projects to provide water and electricity for the people of Sarawak.
“And we will do much more. The roads in rural towns will be improved and when there are problems, we will solve them,” he said.
As an example, Najib pointed out that the government had helped build a heart specialist centre in Sarawak and the Bakun dam.
The prime minister will be on a stump for BN in Sarawak until Friday, a move that the opposition has described as “unprecedented”.
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