Datuk Seri Musa Aman
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said yesterday he hoped that Sabahans would chart new achievements in their respective fields and ventures to help the government transform Sabah and the nation to be on par with some of the best countries in the world.
He said that as a government that cared, the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration would continue to listen to suggestions made by the various stakeholders.
“The policies and plans we (the state government) have designed and implemented are meant to benefit the state and its people, and we also support initiatives that are introduced by the federal government.
“We must be innovative in the way we carry out programmes and projects and ensure that these reach the intended target groups, especially those who live in the interior,” he said in his 2017 New Year message.
Musa noted that Sabah had progressed well through economic and political stability as well as the state government’s commitment to be prudent.
He said the State Development Agenda or ‘Halatuju’, introduced 13 years ago, was showing encouraging results in improving the state’s economy with emphasis on tourism, agriculture and manufacturing.
The Sabah Development Corridor, introduced in 2008, also gave a boost to these three fields whilst encouraging the downstream processing of natural resources, such as oil and gas, he said.
“Projects that are generated via these initiatives are not only creating more local entrepreneurs, but also encouraging growth in the number of knowledge workers.
“With the creation of quality jobs locally, youths do not have to seek jobs in other parts of the country and there are many positive spin-offs that come from a vibrant economy and one that is based on diverse sectors.”
Musa also urged Malaysians in Sabah to refrain from being drawn into the agenda of certain quarters who claim that the people in Sabah were being mistreated by the federal government.
“I note that despite reminders on staying united, calls for Sabah to pull out of the Federation of Malaysia are still being voiced. This is an irresponsible action and must not be tolerated,” he stressed.
He also called on the people to close ranks and to be focused on developing the state by working with the rest of the country in order to enjoy progress.
The chief minister gave the assurance that the state government would continue to work hard to ensure that the sovereignty of the country and the state would be safeguarded.
“Over three years have passed since the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) and Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) were set up and there have been challenges along the way — some requiring changes and gathering of more intelligence and feedback to ensure that Sabah would remain secure.
“We must support our security forces to ensure that our state will remain safe,” he said.
Musa also reminded the people against harbouring illegal immigrants and to be responsibile by reporting suspicious activities in their vicinity. — Bernama