Najib: Politics first, prosperity second impedes progress in some states

BINTULU, Sept 16 — Certain states are lagging behind other states as they are not working in tandem with the federal government, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The prime minister said the leaders of these states placed politics uppermost in their minds rather than the prosperity of the people.

He said a good working relationship and understanding with the federal government were the hallmarks of Sabah and Sarawak's significant progress since gaining independence through the establishment of Malaysia 49 years ago.

The decision made by the leaders of yesteryear in both states to join 11 other states in the Malay Peninsula to form Malaysia on September 16, 1963 became the foundation for today's success, he said at the Malaysia Day celebration at the old Bintulu airport site here tonight.

"I think none of the people of Sarawak and Sabah today will say they have made a big mistake by joining Malaysia," he said.

Najib said since the successful establishment of Malaysia, the people of the three regions had fought together to defend the country’s sovereignty.

“There were people from Peninsula Malaysia who had shed blood to defend Sabah and Sarawak and not least the people from Sabah and Sarawak who died defending Peninsula Malaysia,” he said.

He said the nation’s leaders in the early stages of independence had successfully kept their promises to ensure that Malaysia would persevere and remain sovereign, followed by post-independence leaders who fulfilled their promises to bring development to every corner of the country.

“As for today’s leaders, our promise is that by the dawn of 2020, Malaysia will be declared a developed nation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the state was unable to achieve independence on its own in 1960s due to the political and security situation in the region at the time.

Taib said the plan on the formation of Malaysia was conveyed to him by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman (first prime minister), who did not want the people of Sabah and Sarawak to continue under a colonial government.

“We also wanted progress as we did not want to continue to be left behind, and it was only by joining Malaysia we could change the fate of our people,” he said. — Bernama