Livelihood of rural people better under Najib – Nanta

SIBU: Rural people in Song district have gone through many changes for the better since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak took over the premiership in 2009, Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi said.

He pointed out that it showed that the prime minister is concerned about the wellbeing of rural people.

“In the past nine years since Najib became prime minister, many changes have been made by the government for the rural people here.

“Huge allocations were also approved for the wellbeing of the people.”

Nanta, who is Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said this at a gathering with Sungai Tekalit Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) in Katibas, Song recently.

He also said Tekalit area, home to 19 longhouses, had received minor rural project funds amounting to RM2.4 million in 2016 and 2017.

On the contrary, he claimed, the situation was different when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed was the prime minister from 1981 to 2003 as each MP was allocated development fund of only RM300,000 per year, which was insufficient to develop rural constituencies like Kapit.

“Even my father Tan Sri Leonard Linggi Jugah had brought Dr Mahathir to Engkuah in 1982 by helicopter to see the lives of the people there while he was Kapit MP.

“The people in Engkuah had requested a small clinic with a full-time doctor and it was agreed by Dr Mahathir at that time.

“However, the request was not fulfilled even until he resigned from the post,” he pointed out.

Citing another case, Nanta said when opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was Education Minister from 1986 to 1991, he did not bring any change to schools in the interior.

“They were in power then, why not? The people can make the comparison themselves.

“There are numerous allegations against Najib to bring down the Barisan Nasional ( BN) government which has brought many changes to rural folk,” he said.

Nanta advised longhouse residents in Tekalit not to be fooled by those allegations and continue to support BN in order to enjoy more development.