KENINGAU (May 7): Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today the Barisan Nasional is the best choice of government for all Sabahans because the BN administration had brought much development and well-being to the people in the state.

The Prime Minister said Sabahans should, therefore, elect the BN on polling day on May 9 in the general election to make Malaysia ‘onsoi’ (‘great’ in the Murut language) and ensure that it remained stable for a more glorious future.

“If we want Malaysia to be ‘onsoi’, then we have to elect the BN,” he said when addressing thousands of people at the opening of the Keningau Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) here.

Najib, who is also BN chairman, said the coalition had implemented various efforts and initiatives to ensure that Sabah progressed in tandem with the rest of the nation.

He said there was much evidence of this in the manifesto issued by the BN for the 14th general election.

Najib said the BN government would also ensure that the development gap between Sabah and the peninsula was narrowed if Sabah and Putrajaya remained in BN hands.

“We will continue the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway, from Sindumin to Tawau and to Ranau. The second phase will pass through Keningau and Keningau will be part of the Pan Borneo Highway network,” he said.

The Prime Minister also said that the BN government would be able to take care of the people’s welfare because it had a track record of having administered the country, the economy and finances well to register encouraging growth rates.

He said the opposition had hurled all kinds of accusations and fake news at the BN to cause hatred for and lack of confidence in the government among the people.

“Do not believe what they (opposition) say because they have nothing else but slander and personal attacks against leaders to garner support. Our country cannot be shaped on such superficial politics,” he said.

Najib also said that he would consider providing additional allocations to develop the dairy and meat industries in Keningau due to the good potential for these industries in the district.

On the UTC, he said it was a manifestation of the BN government to empower the delivery system and make it easy for the people to attend to matters involving various government services under one roof.

He said Sabah now had three UTCs, in Kota Kinabalu, Tawau and Keningau, and one would be established in Sandakan.

The Keningau UTC, Sabah’s third, began operating in September 2016.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan represented Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman at the event. Sabah state secretary Tan Sri Sukarti Wakiman was also present.