State confident in strengthening ties with Federal govt

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Abang Johari speaking to reporters at the KIA.

KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg is confident that the Federal Government will continue to strengthen their ties with the State Government despite being from a different party.

Speaking to reporters after the sending-off of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali at the Kuching International Airport VVIP terminal this morning, Abang Johari said the premier has indicated that cooperation and collaboration between both governments will be further boosted.

“He (Mahathir) is very happy with the state’s achievement. He is also surprised of the developments in Kuching,” said Abang Johari.

Prior to the sending-off, both attended a briefing by State Secretary Tan Sri Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani on the state’s development at Wisma Bapa Malaysia.

Besides congratulating the state government for the progress and developments in Sarawak, Mahathir he said also offered a few suggestions for the state’s development agenda.

“We also briefed him (Mahathir) that besides concentrating on the developments in Kuching, we are also going for rural development particularly in terms of infrastructure,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mahathir and his wife had a two-day semi-official visit to the state for the first time since he became the seventh prime minister of Malaysia.

After his arrival in Kuching on Saturday, both attended the wedding of Tenaga Nasional Berhad chairman Tan Sri Leo Moggie’s grandchild in Santubong on that same night.

Also present at the sending-off were Abang Johari’s wife Datin Patinggi Dato Juma’ani Tun Tuanku Bujang, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Second Minister of Finance Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, Minister of Rural Electricity and Water Supply Datuk Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Assistant Minister for Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Chong Chieng Jen and dignitaries.