KUCHING: The federal government will use all avenues in its bid to provide assistance to Sarawak.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Barisan Nasional chairman, said this was not a promise for the Sarawak elections but for the betterment of the state in the areas of development, economy and wellbeing of the people.
"We do it (to assist Sarawak) because we want the state to be more developed and to prosper. All these are not promises for elections," he told the reporters after a walkabout at Kampung Rantau Panjang here.
Najib, accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, visited the village, which is among the areas worst hit by last week's floods.
The hour-long walkabout program brought cheer to the villagers who were devastated by the floods.
The crowd cheered and applauded loudly when Najib and Rosmah emerged from their car. Some took the opportunity to shake hands with the prime minister and some even requested for a 'selfie'.
Najib, who also visited Sekolah Kebangsaan Rantau Panjang, said the federal government would relocate the school to safer ground.
"The school condition is not so ideal as it is quite small wih old school blocks and the road leading to the school is narrow. It's not really suitable, hence, we will look into this," he said.
Allocations, he said, will be given once the state government identifies suitable land for the school.
Asked on former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was suspended by Umno as the party's deputy president, Najib declined further comment.
"I have come here for Sarawak," he said.