Breaking fast together the right step – CM

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Dr Lucas hands over the dividend to Musa here yesterday. SAFODA submits RM2 million in dividend to the state government.

Dr Lucas hands over the dividend to Musa here yesterday. SAFODA submits RM2 million in dividend to the state government.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah should preserve its inherited united stance with acts that bring a camaraderie of people from different races and religious backgrounds together for the continued development of the state.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman said this at a breaking of fast ceremony organized by Sabah Forest Development Authority (SAFODA) and Puteri Umno Sabah here yesterday.

“The government welcomes such charitable programs because through it, not only donations can be given to those in need but also people from different religions and races also come together here. This is the beauty and goodness of Sabah. Tonight, we see SAFODA’s chairman who is a Christian and its deputy who is a Muslim, come together through this occasion,” said Musa.

“We can break our fast together, regardless of race, religion and culture. The important thing is we can live in peace and harmony. This effort, I think, is what we need… the cooperation between each other. With this, we can together develop Malaysia and the Sabah state,” he added.

The Chief Minister also lauded the cooperation amongst Barisan Nasional component parties in the state.

“Today, we can see that the SAFODA chairman is from Upko, and its deputy is from Puteri Umno. This represents the cooperation to develop Sabah, no matter what, for the future generation.

“I also had the opportunity to travel and break fast with members of Umno Sabah throughout the state. The good thing is that the people who came were not only Umno members and Muslims… those who came were also from other racial backgrounds and (political) parties, particularly the Barisan Nasional component.

“We can break the fast together and this is what should work towards, to stay united and continually develop our country and Sabah. We cannot be alone, we should share power and be able to work with anyone. It is important for us to meet our goals and aspirations so we can develop Sabah and Malaysia together,” he emphasized.

SAFODA handed over dividend amounting to RM2 million at the ceremony yesterday.

“This value is smaller than what has been allocated by the state government. However, this indicates SAFODA’s commitment to developing the timber trade industry in the country,” said SAFODA chairman Dr Lucas Umbul.

“We hope in the future, with the support of the government and under the leadership of the Chief Minister, we will be in a position comparable to the agencies that have already achieved success,” he added.

SAFODA and Puteri Umno also extended donations to 51 orphans from Puteri Umno Zone Kota Kinabalu, Sepanggar, Penampang and Putatan at the ceremony.