LAHAD DATU: Datuk Seri Najib Razak today said he wants the Pan Borneo Highway project to become his legacy and something the Sabah folks will remember him by.
Launching the Sabah’s Pan Borneo Highway-Lahad Datu Bypass package here, he said this was the reason why he kept on returning to Sabah and Sarawak to launch the packages.
“There are other packages and I will surely return to Sabah to launch them.
“Because I want to be remembered during my tenure as PM, that I gave this to Sabah. That this project is an effort under my administration for the people of this state,” he said at SMK Sepagaya here.
He said mega projects like the Pan Borneo Highway was something splinter parties would not be able to carry out and only Barisan Nasional has the means to see through it.
Meanwhile, the Lahad Datu Bypass package launched today was expected to shorten travel time between Sandakan and Tawau when completed.
The RM165 million package involved a new dual carriageway of seven kilometres expected to be completed by 2018. “This is part of the Phase 1 of Sabah Pan Borneo Highway project spanning 706km.
“We will continue with the second and third phase, we are committed to implement it based on schedule,” said Najib to reporters later.
Najib said the government would continue to fulfill Sabah folks’ needs so long as its people continue to support BN. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman praised Najib for implementing the project.
He said in the past, no prime ministers had dared to implement such mega project in the state.
“We have asked for Pan Borneo (highway) in the past, no PMs were brave enough to give it to us. I am not trying to talk bad but only PM Najib dared to give this to us.
“Barisan Nasional has a good track record and Pan Borneo is not the only examples of commitment.
“Based on record, our current PM is the most concerned of our welfare, he had given the most allocation to Sabah with thousands of millions, this is not a lie. Thank you sir,” Musa said during the launch of Sabah Pan Borneo Highway Lahad Datu Bypass package here by Najib.
He said this include security assets especially at the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone).
“So like the term we should not be ‘kacang lupakan kulit’. We should return the favour with our loyalty and support to the government.” stressed Musa.
-New Straits Times
