Najib takes swipe at Baru over NCR land issue champ

 

S'WAK POLLS Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said it was not the opposition but Barisan Nasional led by Adenan Satem that championed the Native Customary Right land issue in Sarawak.

He said it was the Sarawak chief minister who had taken concrete action to resolve the issue for the good of the people in the state.

The prime minister said the federal government approved RM100 million for a perimeter survey to be carried out on NCR land in Sarawak to be given to the natives.

"He (Ba'kelalan seat PKR incumbent Baru Bian) claimed to have championed the NCR land issue but actually, it was BN led by Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem who championed it, enabling thousands of hectares of NCR land to be surveyed," said Najib.

He pointed this out at a leaders-people's gathering attended by about 5,000 residents at Padang Awam Lawas today.

Also present was Ba'kelalan BN candidate Willie Liau.

Besides championing the NCR, BN also built better roads for the people including in Ba'kelalan, said Najib.

He said residents in Ba'kelalan should therefore support and give the seat to BN, "for a better future under BN".

On Lawas, Najib said it was set to undergo a glaring and rapid change once the Pan Borneo Highway project costing RM16 billion is fully completed in five years, as more outsiders would be visiting, including from Brunei Darussalam.

He said the toll-free highway would connect Lawas with Sabah through

Sipitang, Beaufort till Tawau.

Najib said a new airport for Lawas would also be built in the 11th Malaysia Plan, "in appreciation of the constituents' staunch support for BN".

"We look after Sarawak because Sabah and Sarawak are very important to us, very important because they make the 1Malaysia concept a reality. I see Sabah and Sarawak as the best example of the 1Malaysia concept," he said.

The prime minister also assured that freedom of religion would be maintained and all races treated fairly and equally by the government.

After the event, Najib who is also national BN chairman, with other Muslim coalition leaders and about 2,000 people performed Friday prayers at Masjid Darul Makmur in Lawas.

- Bernama