Liew (centre) stressing a point during her interview by Chin (right). Looking on at left is Organising Chairperson Goh.
KOTA KINABALU: Incumbent Api-Api Assemblywoman Datuk Christina Liew has taken her critics to task for claiming that she has not done anything for the last two years since the Warisan-led State Government took over the helm in May 2018.
She dismissed such talk as negative propaganda in a smear campaign against her in view of the upcoming State snap polls.
“The proof of what I have done for my constituency in particular, and the State in general, is all in the mainstream newspapers and online news portals. My media team has done a good job in disseminating news to the print and electronic media.
“I take this opportunity to thank the media practitioners for their extensive coverage of my programmes, proposed projects and activities over the last two years. Perhaps my opponents did not bother to read the papers or online news,” she said in an interview by businesswoman Kate Chin during a get-together with women entrepreneurs from the Tionghua community on Saturday.
Former Kapitan Cina Eliza Goh organised the event for the incumbent Api-Api Assemblywoman to share her life experiences.
Liew, who is caretaker Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, said she led delegations overseas in a bid to promote Sabah as a premier tourist destination.
“Our efforts for Sabah’s tourism push have paid off. Last year (2019), Sabah recorded some 4,195,903 international and domestic tourist arrivals with estimated tourism receipts of RM9.01 billion. This registered a growth by 8.1pc compared with RM8.34 billion receipts the previous year (2018),” she told the audience.
According to Liew, she was planning to lead a delegation to Europe early this year in an attempt to diversify the tourism market but her hopes were dashed by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in international travel restrictions since the imposition of the Movement Control Order (MCO) by the Government on March 18 this year.
A view of the audience at the get-together.
In response to the question on what kept her going despite being in the Opposition for 20 years until May 2018, and going through the turmoil in the last six months since March, she said it was her fighting spirit and the desire for positive change.
“I am all for the reform agenda to change the government system for the betterment of Sabah and the people. Although I have experienced the ups and downs while in government in the last 26 months, I am still here. I have not changed,” she assured.
The public is welcome to log on to Liew’s website ‘www.christinaliew.com‘ to view the works carried out by her over the last two years.
