SANDAKAN: Barisan Nasional (BN) today reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that only the people of Sabah will govern their own state, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
The Deputy Prime Minister, who is also BN chairman, said the central leadership of the coalition has never interfered with affairs of the state nor has the coalition colonized Sabah.
"We have given autonomy to Sabah Umno. And now we are giving autonomy to Sabah BN.
"Who will be governing Sabah? Will it be people from the Peninsular? We are confident that the people of Sabah can administer the state.
"We let the people of Sabah choose their leaders... We let the people of Sabah become the chief minister and hold other ministerial positions," said Zahid during the closing of the Sabah BN Convention at SJKC Tiong Hua here.
"When Umno came to Sabah in 1994, it was the people of Sabah, who wanted them to be here," he added.
Present at the event were BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, the coalition's treasurer-general Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Sabah BN chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah president Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup.
BN, Zahid said, was merely sharing power to ensure political stability and peace in Sabah.
Zahid, a former defence minister, highlighted the time when security agencies had defended Sabah from the Lahad Datu intrusion in 2013 to proof the federal government's commitment to ensure the wellbeing of the people in state.
He added that the federal government has been addressing the ongoing Sulu claims on Sabah.