Give PH-Warisan-Upko at least one term to deliver

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said that the Warisan-Pakatan HarapanUpko coalition government should be given at least one term to prove that it could deliver.

“We are only one year old and we are trying to catch up with work - to redo some of the wrongs and then to promote some of the things that we want to do. At least give us one term, I think it’s fair to say that,” she said.

Christina made the comment following a statement that was issued by Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) president Datuk Michael Lui on Thursday, whereby the latter had claimed that the Pakatan Harapan government should pick up the pace in implementing development programmes and accelerating economic growth as it heads into its second year of governance.

“The Chief Minister (Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal) is doing his best.

“He has been going to China to negotiate with foreign investors to come to Sabah. I know that he has successfully concluded negotiations with investors to build a glass factory in Kudat, which costs RM100 million,” she told reporters yesterday.

Christina, who is also the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah chief, pointed out that Shafie had also approved numerous hotel projects for the state, a move that would help Sabah address its lack of hotels problem.

“Investments are coming in and the tourism (industry) is booming … if you say we are not doing well, (you have to understand) that the lack of incentives for the business sector is not concentrated on Sabah alone – it’s a worldwide issue.

“I am not saying that we are doing better than the other (previous) governments but we are trying our best.

“We are only one year old. Every single minister in this cabinet is working very hard, including the Chief Minister,” she said.

“I can see that his hair is starting to turn white. I told him that he should dye his hair,” she further quipped.

Commenting on the business environment in the state under the new government, Christina admitted that the some of the businesses in the state had not been doing well.

“When I was in Sandakan, businessmen there had told me that their business had not been doing well.

“We understand and acknowledge (this problem). So what do we do? We want to promote them so that the industry will boom,” she said.

She also said that ministers such as Datuk Junz Wong, who heads the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, had been carrying out various initiatives to promote the various industries in Sabah, using the recent crab hatchery centre in Sandakan as one of the minister’s major initiatives.

Christina added that her Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry would also be implementing more tourism promotion works for Sandakan and Tawau.