Najib is the most caring prime minister ever - Ongkili

A quantum leap in allocation for huge development projects in Sabah shows Prime Minister Najib Razak has a soft heart for the people in the state and Sarawak.

“He (Najib) is the most caring prime minister ever,” said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Maximus Ongkili, who is also Kota Marudu Member of Parliament.

He said the increased allocation for basic infrastructures such as roads, water, health, rural homes and especially education was evidence to the nation’s number one leader’s sincerity in narrowing the development gap between these two states and Peninsular Malaysia.

“Our school children continue to enjoy assistance like free uniforms and shoes, even education aid like KWAMP (Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin), the RM100 cash aid for students and Siswa 1Malaysia, to mention some, are meant to ease parents’ burden on the additional expenses at the start of the new school term,” he said.

Ongkili said this after distributing the RM100 education aid to 697 pupils in three schools in Kota Marudu, namely Sekolah Kebangsaan Tigaman, Sekolah Kebangsaan Mangaris and Sekolah Kebangsaan Tagaroh today.

In addition, he said Najib had announced an unprecedented allocation of RM1 billion this year for developing and upgrading schools in Sabah and Sarawak.

“Under the first phase of the programme, 107 rural schools have been selected and about half a billion ringgit has been allocated to either repair and rebuild dilapidated schools, construction of new classrooms, as well as upgrading sewerage system, among others,” he said.

He, meanwhile, urged parents and teachers to work closely together with the schools to ensure the school children are properly guided to pursue excellence and strive for excellence in their educational pursuits.

On top of that, he said other development projects, including the mega Pan Borneo Highway, are currently ongoing to bridge the gap between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

“This is a reflection of the prime minister’s sincerity and full commitment to make sure the development in both Sabah and Sarawak would catch up with the peninsula,” he added.

- Bernama