Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said Tuesday neither he nor the state government discriminated against the district of Semporna in terms of the people or development.
He said the allegations of discrimination were unfounded and that as the chief minister he was the leader for all the people and districts of Sabah.
"How can I discriminate against Semporna? For your information, my senior officers are from Semporna. Many do not know about my good relationship with former Sabah chief minister Tun Sakaran Dandai who is from Semporna.
"Semporna leaders also contact me frequently to discuss development and what's good for the district and the people," he said to reporters after performing the ground-breaking for a market here.
Musa was welcomed by about 10,000 people on his day-long working visit to Semporna. Also present at the event were deputy chief ministers Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Tan Sri Raymond Tan Shu Kiah and Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin, and Sabah Cabinet ministers.
Musa said the state government strived to take care of the people of Semporna, including getting approval from the land office for land in Mount Pock and Nagos to be given to the people.
"However, I am accused of harbouring hatred for Semporna. I work to develop Sabah, including Semporna, along with my colleagues," he said.
Musa said Sabah was on the best track and there was no issue of any need to change the state government.
"History has proven that the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) accords great respect for Sabah, with the appointment of six Sabahans in important Cabinet positions," he said.
He said it was needless to have any kind of Arab Spring in Sabah, similar to the uprising in Libya and Egypt that culminated in civil war.
Musa advised the people of Semporna not to be taken in by the opposition promises and get confused.
He also reminded all quarters against raising matters relating to the ethnic communities in Sabah, saying respect must be accorded to all the 34 ethnic communities.
Musa also visited the site of the sports complex and had lunch with academics in the district. -- Bernama
Bernama
Tue Feb 28 2017
Tan Sri Musa Aman at the ground-breaking for a market in Semporna. -fotoBERNAMA
Sweden urges Chinese ship to return for undersea cable investigation
Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, were damaged in less than 24 hours.
[COLUMNIST] Building more highways won’t solve traffic congestion - reducing demand will
It is clear that adding more lanes and highways doesn't work, because we are still attempting the same approach to solve the issue.
Hyundai to invest RM2.16 bil in Malaysia through strategic partnership with INOKOM
This investment includes efforts to upgrade INOKOM's existing assembly capacity to meet Hyundai's automotive needs.
‘C4Cinta’ sets record as highest-grossing Malaysian Tamil film
'C4Cinta', directed by young filmmaker Karthik Shamalan, has set a new benchmark in Malaysian Tamil cinema.
Man charged with mother's murder, storing body in freezer
The court denied bail and scheduled case mention on Feb 7 for the submission of forensic, autopsy, and chemist reports.
Abolition of examination in schools to reduce pressure on pupils - Fadhlina
The classroom assessment approach offers a much more interesting learning ecosystem, says Fadhlina Sidek.
Google, Meta urge Australia to delay bill on social media ban for children
Google and Meta says the government should wait for the results of an age-verification trial before going ahead.
Judge tosses Trump 2020 election case after prosecutors' request
It represents a big legal victory for Donald Trump, who won the Nov. 5 US election and is set to return to office on Jan. 20.
DHL plane crash in Lithuania leaves authorities searching for answers
Rescue services said the plane hit the ground, split into pieces and slid over 100 metres (110 yards).
National squad to hold friendly matches for 2025 Indoor Hockey World Cup
The warm-up matches will involve matches against better ranked teams in the world, namely Austria (first) and Belgium (third).
G7 seeks unity on ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu
The United States, part of the G7, has rejected the ICC decision, with President Joe Biden describing it as outrageous.
Francissca Peter remembers Tan Sri Ahmad Nawab: A tribute to a musical legend
A legend who has influenced our music for decades, was one of the highlights of my career, says Francissca Peter.
TikTok decision coming soon as Jan. 19 divestment deadline looms
Judges are reviewing TikTok's challenge to a law requiring ByteDance to sell its US assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban.
Lebanese sources: Biden, Macron set to announce Israel-Hezbollah truce
In Washington, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said, "We're close" but "nothing is done until everything is done".
PM meets chaebol tycoon to attract more FDI to Malaysia
Chaebols are prominent figures from South Korea's family-owned conglomerates.
Govt won't allow non-citizen vehicles to enjoy RON95 subsidy - Economy Ministry
The implementation of the RON95 subsidy in 2025 is expected to provide savings of RM3.6 billion to government expenditure.
Ringgit opens lower as greenback gains ground
Dr Mohd Afzanizam says the market responded positively to news of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent heading the US Treasury Department.
Management of low-cost housing, gov't quarters, focus at Dewan Rakyat today
Also among the highlights, UNICEF report on 12.3pct of teenagers in Klang Valley's PPR face mental health issues and suicidal tendencies.
UN Resolution 1701, cornerstone of any Israel-Hezbollah truce
Here are the resolution's main terms, and a note about subsequent violations and tensions.
Record aid worker deaths in 2024 in 'era of impunity', UN says
So far this year there have been 281 aid worker victims, according to the Aid Worker Security database.