Fed govt will continue to give more attention to S’wak if BN wins — Zahid

SIMUNJAN: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has assured that the federal government will continue to pay more attention to Sarawak if Barisan Nasional ( BN) remains in power.

He said both he and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak are aware that Sarawak is still lacking in many things, especially in terms of road connectivity.

“We are sorry for the slow progress of Sarawak and Sabah under the previous Prime Minister who was in power for 22 years.

“That is why the present Prime Minister has set aside so much allocation for Sarawak to help this state catch up with the states in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said at the walkabout programme here yesterday.

Ahmad Zahid said Najib’s commitment to t rans form Sarawak was translated into action when the latter approved the Pan Borneo Highway project which will benefit both Sarawak and Sabah upon completion.

He also said the Prime Minister was already thinking of connecting every remote and rural settlement with roads.

“Road connectivity linking every village, town and bazaar in the rural areas will help boost the socio economy of the rural as well as the urban people.

“We want to make sure that projects that are implemented will benefit the people at large,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid also assured that people in Batang Sadong, including Simunjan, would also benefit if BN’s Dato Sri Nancy Shukri wins and BN remains in power after the May 9 general election.

He said additional allocations amounting to millions of ringgit to implement various projects in Simunjan had been endorsed by him but he could not announce it because Parliament had been dissolved.

“I have a list of projects to be implemented in Simunjan and will announce it when I come back here after Nancy wing in Batang Sadong.

“I want you all to help Nancy to increase her majority of 11,000 in 2013 to 15,000 on May 9.

“The bigger the majority Nancy has, the sooner I will come to announce and implement the projects that we have for Simunjan,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and Nancy was present.

— Photo by Chimon Upon Ahmad Zahid and Nancy give the thumbs-up upon their arrival at the Dewan Daerah Simunjan during the former’s walkabout programme.

Zahid (left) leads the BN motivational cry before ending his speech during the walkabout programme in Simunjan.