TAWAU: The Najib Razak Solidarity Fund, launched following the conditional pardon granted to the former Prime Minister, has received strong support from Sabah Umno members, who say they have not forgotten his record of developing Sabah during his nearly 10 years at the helm of the country.
The fund followed the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim Obni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, on Friday to grant Najib a conditional pardon, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest until Aug 23, 2028, subject to payment of a RM50 million fine.
As of 9.30am on Saturday (Sept 19), the fund had reportedly raised RM1 million, according to Umno Sec-General Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki in a post on his official Facebook account.
Sabah Umno Liaison Body Secretary and Kalabakan Umno Division Chief Samasuddin Yusop said the spirit of solidarity came not only from the party leadership but was also strongly felt at grassroots level.
“For Sabah, the relationship with and appreciation for Datuk Seri Najib cannot be separated from his record as the Prime Minister who gave attention to the development of Sabah.
“We remember that during his administration, the Pan Borneo Highway project was launched and became one of the strategic infrastructure projects planned to improve connectivity between Sabah and Sarawak. Even today, the project remains one of Sabah’s key infrastructure developments,” he said.
Samasuddin said the people also could not forget Najib’s attention to rural development, road networks, security along the East Coast of Sabah, as well as the State’s economic and infrastructure development, which formed part of the Government’s agenda at the time.
“So, when we talk about Najib’s contributions to Sabah, we are talking about a period of administration and development policies that left several legacies which are still being felt and continued to this day.
“That is why, for us in Sabah, contributions to this fund are voluntary as a sign of solidarity and appreciation, particularly from those who feel they have benefited from the policies and development implemented during his tenure,” he said.
Samasuddin, however, said whether RM10, RM50, RM100 or more, they depended on individual means, sincerity and the spirit of togetherness.
On the amount collected, he said Sabah Umno is still coordinating with its divisions but acknowledging that the fund had received strong support, with the party grassroots beginning to mobilise and many coming forward to contribute according to their means through official channels.
“For me, what is important is not merely the amount of money collected, but the spirit of solidarity and sincerity of Sabah Umno members in supporting Datuk Seri Najib. Once the official amount for Sabah is finalised, we will announce it,” he said.
