‘Nothing wrong with PM’s frequent Sabah visits’

The visit of Najib to Sabah shows that he is a caring prime minister, says Salleh Said Keruak.

KOTA BELUD: Salleh Said Keruak has scoffed at reports that the Barisan Nasional is running scared and that the frequent visits by the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to Sabah are to shore up flagging spirits.

“The ones being very afraid is the opposition actually and that’s why their big wigs are often in Sabah,” Salleh, the Sabah Umno deputy head and Kota Belud division chief, said after chairing Kota Belud Umno management committee.

He said the visit of Najib to Sabah showed that he was a caring prime minister and there was nothing wrong for him to visit any state for as many times as he pleases.

“It is his prerogative as he wants to see for himself the implementation of the various development as well as infrastructure projects that have been done as promised under the various Malaysia Plans as well as the government Transformation Programme and Economic Transformation Programme,” said Salleh.

“If Najib did not visit Sabah at all or limited his trips to once or twice a year, these very same people would be singing a different tune. They would then claim that the prime minister is uncaring.”

Najib is on his fifth visit to Sabah this weekend which will take him to the state’s northernmost town of Kudat where he will participate in the Jelajah Janji Ditepati programme at the Kudat Stadium.

On Sunday morning, he is also expected to flag off the men’s climbathon event. At both places he will also have a walk-about to get first-hand information from the people.

So far this year, he has travelled most parts of Sabah, or in terms of regions – all regions in the state, and is the only prime minister who has come to Sabah most times in a year.

Salleh said Sabahans are proud to have a prime minister who takes the welfare of the people to heart and that his frequent trips to the state meant he could see for himself and understand the situation here.