PLEDGE ON EDUCATION DEVT IN SABAH

KOTA KINABALU: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has assured that Sabah will continue to receive attention especially in education development.

Muhyiddin who is also Education Minister said he has directed his two deputies to visit all areas throughout the state to look at the conditions of the schools especially those in the rural areas.

And to address the problems faced by the schools, especially the shortage of teaching manpower and dilapidated school buildings, he said that as Education Minister, he would ensure that in a few years’ time no schools would be left behind in terms of having adequate facilities.

“We don’t want people to think that we’re only giving attention to areas that are already developed whereas areas that still need development are left behind,” he said at a dinner hosted in his honour by the state government here last night.

Muhyiddin also said he would continue to work as hard as possible to ensure that educational facilities were in good condition and fully provided to the schools.

Meanwhile the Deputy Prime Minister also touched on other issues including the economy, security and politics in the country.

On the economy, he said the people wanted to know how the government implemented economic development programmes especially in view of the current global economic crisis.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had recently announced the liberalisation of various sub-sectors and that this should be welcomed by everyone.

Muhyiddin added that although the Malaysian economy contracted in the first quarter of this year, it nevertheless has remained strong.

Malaysia, he added, was considered a ‘developed nation’ among developing countries.

And, he also said the role of the private sector too must be given attention so that they could continue to contribute significantly to the economy.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the government has been and would continue to make efforts including increasing the workforce of security agencies to ensure security in the country.

“It is important to create a sense of security not only to secure investor confidence but also to make sure the people live peacefully,” he said.

And, Muhyiddin also said in states not governed by the Barisan Nasional, the opposition had been trying to twist the facts and make people believe they were not being treated fairly.

The allegations made by the opposition, he sad, were destabilizing the political process “and as such we as government leaders must ensure this will not continue to the extent that it can affect the confidence of foreign investors”

Also present last night were the Deputy Prime Minister’s wife Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman and wife Datin Seri Hajah Faridah Haji Tussin, Rural & Regional Development Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal, State Cabinet Ministers, MPs, Assemblymen and senior government officials.