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Najib scoops up soil as a symbolic launch of the groundbreaking ceremony for the KDM College in Tambunan on Sunday.
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18th June, 2012
TAMBUNAN (Sabah): Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday performed the ground-breaking for the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) College which aims to empower participation of the KDM community in the national education arena.
The Prime Minister said the federal government supported the establishment of the KDM College in Kaingaran, Tambunan, as it was the right move to provide wider opportunities for students from Sabah’s interior to pursue higher studies.
“The federal government not only supports the plan, but will also cooperate with the state government to share the cost. However, the amount of the allocation will be determined after reviewing the proposals to be presented soon by (Sabah Deputy Chief Minister) Tan Sri (Joseph) Pairin (Kitingan).
“This is what the Barisan Nasional government is all about. If we say we’ll build, we’ll build … and we deliver what we promise,” he said at a meeting with the people and groundbreaking for the KDM College at Pisompuruan Square, here.
Also present were Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman and Deputy Chief Minister Pairin, who is also the state assemblyman for Tambunan.
Najib said the BN government would not promise something it cannot fulfill, unlike the opposition parties which he said always promised the moon and the stars just to garner support.
“You can fool all the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time, they (opposition) have been fooling the people all this while … they don’t walk the talk and I hope the people in Tambunan can see that,” he said.
At the ceremony, the Prime Minister also outlined his dream to bring greater progress and create a better future for the country.
First and foremost, he said, he wanted to see maintenance of peace, security and harmony in the country.
“My second dream is to make changes or transformation in both the urban and rural areas so that the people can raise their income and the country can achieve developed-nation status,” he said.
In addition, Najib said, he wanted to see the creation of opportunities in all aspects for the benefit of the people regardless of their race and religion.
“Looking at the concept of 1Malaysia, I think one of the things that is important is mutual respect. My respect for the KDM community is the reason I have come to Tambunan,” he said.
Citing the history of the late influential Dusun Murut leader of the Interior, OKK Sedomon Gunsanad, Najib, who had earlier visited the Sedomon family home, Rumah Besar, in Bingkor, Keningau, said his father, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, had met with Sedomon at the house in 1963 to discuss the proposed formation of Malaysia.
“It was not easy to convince Sedomon at the time. I found out that my father was well received by Sedomon and that he called Sedomon “father” even though he was holding the post of Deputy Prime Minister.
“So, the principle that I learned is that even though you are holding the highest office, a leader must always be humble and willing to meet the people and ‘InsyaAllah’ (God willing), the people will always be with us,” he said.
Earlier, Pairin expressed his thanks to the federal government helmed by Najib for giving the green light for the construction of the KDM college.
He also expressed appreciation for Najib’s presence in Tambunan, saying that Najib was the first Prime Minister ever to set foot in the district.
Pairin also lauded the contributions of various parties, including the Sabah Kadazandusun Murut Welfare and Education Association, for making the establishment of the KDM college a reality.
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