KUCHING: Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims involved in the helicopter crash involving healthcare personnel in Marudi.
Najib said he was saddened by news of the incident and hoped the victims’ families would remain strong in facing the tragedy.
“I am very saddened to read about the helicopter crash involving healthcare personnel in Marudi yesterday.
“May the family members remain strong in facing this trial. My condolences,” he said in a Facebook posting today.
Najib also recalled visiting Long Jegan, Marudi, and several other areas in the interior around 2016, where he spent time with medical staff serving rural communities.
He said their duties are highly challenging due to limited access, infrastructure and conditions compared with those in urban areas.
“Our responsibility as a government is to ensure services and assistance reach all Malaysians, including those living in rural and interior areas,” he said.
Najib recalled that during the early implementation of the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M), government officers were accompanied by security personnel and travelled by boat to deliver assistance to some remote communities.
Medical personnel, meanwhile, were assigned according to schedules to provide healthcare services, while medical supplies were also delivered to these areas.
He described the contributions and sacrifices of healthcare workers serving in such challenging conditions as noble and greatly appreciated.
Najib said similar interior communities existed in Peninsular Malaysia, including Hulu Tembeling in Pahang and Hulu Kelantan, where healthcare workers also provided services but faced fewer access challenges following improvements to the road network.
However, he said some areas in Sabah and Sarawak remained extremely difficult to access due to various factors, particularly infrastructure limitations.
“This is also why the federal government administration before 2018 implemented two key focuses — the Rural Basic Infrastructure National Key Result Area (NKRA) and the Pan Borneo Highway,” he said.
Najib also prayed that all matters involving the personnel conducting operations following the incident would be facilitated and urged them to always prioritise safety.
