Muhyiddin vows to defend Beaufort

KUALA PENYU - Barisan Nasional (BN) has resolved to defend the Beaufort parliamentary seat in the 13th general election, following the resignation of its member of parliament from all Umno posts, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said the seat, which was won by Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin on a BN ticket in 2008, should remain with the ruling party for the government was committed in developing the constituency.

"This seat no longer belongs to BN, he (Lajim) is no longer with us...What is important, we must recapture the seat," he said when addressing over 8,000 people at a gathering here today.

Muhyiddin, who is also BN deputy chairman, said in reality, the BN remained robust and was unaffected by untoward incidents, including Lajim's resignation.

Present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, state community development and consumer affairs minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun, Beaufort Umno division acting chief Isnin Aliasneh and Kuala Penyu assemblyman John Teo Mau Sing.

Muhyiddin said the people of Sabah, particularly in Beaufort, should evaluate wisely which leadership could guarantee continuous progress after their elected representative changed course.

"Lajim has left us to set up an organisation whose name I cannot even remember.

No point crying over this. Let him go. What is important is not the person, but your fate, your future," reasoned the deputy prime minister.

Questioning the basis of Lajim's struggles, Muhyiddin asked whether he (Lajim) could get a big allocation to develop the district, without (help from)

the government.

He said the people should rest assured the BN could fulfil its responsibilities, if it were given the mandate to govern the country and the

states, including Sabah.

"Many people have asked me when the general election will be held, for they were eager to vote for BN. Why this is so, because of BN's track record due to its struggles since independence in 1957, as well as in Sabah, although the history has not been that long," he added.

He said Malaysia became a respected country, and had resolved many perennial problems, including reducing the national poverty rate to three per cent, and in Sabah, from 70 per cent to about 10 per cent.

The government had successfully implemented various transformation programmes mooted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to help increase employment opportunities in various industries and sectors, he added.

At the event, Muhyiddin announced a RM2 million allocation for various small projects in the area, and launched the laying of pipes worth RM49 million for water supply from Limbawang to Kayul.

-- BERNAMA