BARISAN Nasional (BN) had to ramp up its efforts to reach voters in Sabah if it hoped to win with landslide majorities in the 14th general election, said Najib Razak.

The BN chairman told party workers to intensify efforts to engage the large number of “persuadable” and first-time voters in the state.

“We can no longer depend on membership alone to win elections. We must increase the winning factor and learn what appeals to them,” he said at a Sabah BN dinner yesterday night.

Najib said there were 6,000 to 7,000 first-time voters in marginal parliamentary seats which BN won with a small majority in Sabah. 

“We can no longer take things for granted and must do whatever we can to win them over,” he said.

The prime minister said the BN must leverage on its track record and its work to bring development to Sabah.

“To Sabahans, I have also given them the assurance that I will look into the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and if we have taken any rights, whether inadvertently or deliberately, we will return them to Sabahans,” said Najib.

Najib said more allocations would be given to Sabah if BN were to be given the mandate to form the government as he wished to see the development gap between Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia narrowed.

“We are not only thinking about now but also the future. We are thinking 30 years ahead through the National Transformation programme.

“Now, can a 92-year-old can be the face of Malaysia’s future? I won’t say anything. But if you use your mind, you would know what the answer is,” Najib said in a veiled reference to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is the Pakatan Harapan prime minister designate. – January 19, 2018.