Datuk Najib Tun Razak has given an assurance to the people in Sabah that he would continue to safeguard their interest and future as long as he is Prime Minister.

"I was given the mandate to lead the country. I also have the mandate to safeguard the wellbeing of the people in Sabah, Malaysia. It pleases me to do so because people here are sincere.

"I agree with Datuk Seri Musa about people in Sabah..if we do them good, they will repay with good. If we are bad, they will get back at us.

"But you don't have to worry. As long as I am prime minister, I will give priority to Sabah," he said.

He said this while addressing about 40,000 people at the 'Perhimpunan Solidariti Rakyat Sabah bersama Perdana Menteri', at Padang Perbandaran Tawau, here Sunday.

Najib said the federal government under his leadership had already given a substantial allocation to Sabah and was considering to approve an application by the state government for an additional RM270 million.

He said it was only fair to help the state as the people had always supported the BN at every election and that he had come to regard Sabah as the coalition's 'fixed deposit'.

"You can depend on me as prime minister to help Sabah, because I want Sabah to continue to be stable, progressive and successful and become a state we can be proud of," he said.