Sabah MP cautions people over secession move

Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan has advised Sabahans to be wary of the people trying to instigate them to support an attempt to secede Sabah from Malaysia.

"The move to secede Sabah from Malaysia is very drastic and irresponsible," he said, adding that the instigator was abroad.

He spoke at the 'Program Bicara Tokoh' talk show at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here last night. Also present was UMS vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Mohd Harun Abdullah.

Abdul Rahman, who is the federal minister of urban well-being, housing and local government, said Sabah, just like Sarawak, had undergone much progress and development within Malaysia.

The people of Sabah were enjoying all kinds of development under the federal government, he said, adding that the idea of seceding Sabah from Malaysia was just 'a romantic dream'.

Abdul Rahman referred to the terrorist infiltration in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, and said the federal government had resolved the problem by deploying soldiers to thwart the threat.

"Tanduo was the best example of federalism in the country," he said, adding that the federal government had deployed military assets in the waters off Sabah to prevent a recurrence of the incident.