LAWAS: Barisan Nasional (BN) can rule for many more decades as it has the capabilities to adapt to change, said Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday.
He said the people had benefitted from transformations brought about by the BN in the last 50 years, and this could be seen from the mandate given to the ruling coalition in every election since the state’s independence through Malaysia.
Taib said the rakyat’s political maturity had helped create a conducive and stable environment for the government to develop the state in a holistic and systematic manner.
“The confidence of the people for the next five to 10 years has enabled us to plan ahead. Some of our plans could take up to 20 years to come to fruition,” he said at the launching of LawasMallShoppingComplex-StateGovernmentOfficeBuilding cum Hari Raya gathering here yesterday.
The project costs RM210 million and is undertaken by state government-linked company Borneo Development Corporation (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd (BDC) and Lawas Mall Sdn Bhd of the Sendayan Group of Companies.
Taib said leadership, politics, jobs and everything would change, but leaders must be able to adapt to all these changes.
“We have that capability in BN, which can rule for many more decades.”
Taib said the rise of per capita income from RM660 in 1963 to over RM41,000 presently reflected well on the government-people cooperation in the state.
As the fate of the people lies in the hands of the people, he stressed the importance of consensus in resolving problems.On the Bumiputera community, he said they had remained united and true to the real spirit of Sarawak.
Alluding to infighting in SUPP that is threatening to destroy the party, Taib said he hoped squabbles in the Chinese community could be resolved through consensus.
On the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), he said its impacts and benefits would be felt throughout the state even though it was implemented in the central region of the state.
“For Limbang and Lawas, it may be felt after 10 years when the dams are built to meet the demand of power in our industrialisation drive.”
Earlier on, Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said Taib was the father of the state’s transformations.
“There is no one more qualified than our chief minister in talking about the fruits of independence as he has been a member of the first state cabinet after achieving independence.”
Awang Tengah said the transformations were undeniable, and the present and future generations should be grateful to the politics of development.
Also present were Taib’s wife Puan Sri Ragad Kurdi Taib, Assistant Minister of Housing cum Borneo Development Corporation (BDC) chairman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong, Limbang MP Hasbi Habibolah, assemblymen Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail (Bukit Kota), Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau) and Ripin Lamat (Lambir).