 SHOW OF STRENGTH…Amirudin (centre), flanked by Liew (on his right) and Noor Amin, with Leow (left) and Chan (right). Mary ChinRainÂ
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah topped the country in terms of tourist arrivals and tourism receipts in 2019, said Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
Speaking as the guest of honour in support of Warisan Plus and PKR Api Api candidate, Datuk Christina Liew at the Meet-The-People session at the Palace Hotel on Tuesday night, he noted that Sabah had the highest number of international and domestic visitors that year, followed by Penang and Selangor.
“I know, I was there. I came to Sabah for the meeting” he said.
Amirudin stressed that this coming State election is a question of the Sabah people’s dignity and fate.
“Reject ‘pencuri-pencuri’ (thieves) who came to Sabah to try and ‘curi’ (steal) a democratically-elected government, to ‘beli’ people to be part of their ‘power grab’ government.
“Come Sept 26, reject Perikatan Nasional (PN), reject Barisan Nasional (BN). Choose Warisan (under the leadership of Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal), Pakatan Harapan and Keadilan. Return the mandate to Shafie to be Sabah Chief Minister again to safeguard the State’s autonomy and rights under the Malaysia Agreement (MA63).
“Vote for Christina and other ‘rakan-rakan’ (friends) under the PKR banner. Repeat the 2018 history where we toppled the BN/UMNO government. Do not pawn your future just for RM50, RM100 or RM1,000,” he said.
Later, when met by reporters, Amirudin attributed Sabah’s tourism achievement to its abundant natural resources and attractions.
“Sabah is a beautiful land, you have it all here. You have idyllic islands and world-class diving sites, and the mountain too (in reference to Mount Kinabalu, highest peak in Southeast Asia). This is what makes Sabah unique. And we credit Christina’s role as Tourism Minister,” he said.
An impressed MP for Hulu Selangor, June Leow said with Liew at the helm as State Minister of Tourism, Sabah recorded more than four million tourist arrivals with tourism receipts of RM9.01 billion last year.
“She is a hard-working YB who travelled to many countries to promote Sabah as a premier international tourist destination. I call on the voters in Api Api to support her so that her good work will be continued for the benefit of the people in Sabah.”
Calling on the people of Sabah to ‘bangkit’ (Rise up), MP for Kangar, Noor Amin Ahmad said PKR is all for cooperation with Warisan Plus to bring about change while expressing full support for the coalition’s candidates, including Liew who is also MP for Tawau.
“The party’s Api Api candidate deserves support for her loyalty to the PKR struggle, her service to the people and her success in her tourism ministerial portfolio. To me, this is an achievement. A vote for Warisan Plus will enable the government to continue the State’s tourism plan and economic development agenda.”
Meanwhile, MP for Alor Setar, Chan Kai Ming urged the people to vote for Liew for continuity and unity in diversity, given her experience and track record in public service dating back to the days when she was in the Opposition.
“PKR advocates ‘Unity in diversity’ which is a hallmark of Sabah known to have more than 30 ethnic groups and 50 languages and dialects.”
Earlier, PKR Vice-President Tian Chua said he came to Sabah to support Warisan Plus, PKR and UPKO for the sovereignty, rights and future of Sabah.
“Tonight, I am here not to ask for an inch of land from Sabah. None of the YBs from the Peninsula (who are present) are here to ask for projects from Sabah. We are here to ensure victory for Warisan Plus.”
He was confident that the voters in Api Api would make a wise decision in voting for Liew. “Do not pawn the future of Sabah just because of ‘beberapa ringgit’ (few dollars) and ‘umpan’ (bait),” he said.
Liew, who also spoke, urged the electorate in Api Api to stand firm and not be bullied or intimidated by any quarters.
“Rain or shine, come out to vote without fear. The right to vote lies in your hands. Do not ‘sell’ your power to decide on the future of our young generation. They are more valuable than RM50, RM80 or RM150 that is being offered,” she said.
