Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor welcomed the decision by Barisan Nasional (BN) to support the Sabah Unity Government led by him.
“That’s good. So this means the State Government will be strengthened, in the concept of Unity Government pioneered by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” he said, after officiating the Seminar on Developing a Malaysia Madani at the Sabah International Convention Center (SICC), Tuesday.
Hajiji, who is also Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Chairman, was asked to comment on Sunday’s statement by BN Sec-Gen Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.
Dr Zambry had said the stand is in line with the decision of each party at the Federal level that forms the Unity Government.
“A Permanent Secretariat of the Malaysia Unity Government was formed to coordinate all the parties that founded it. This includes the decision of the Leadership Council of the Secretariat of the Malaysia Unity Government which convened on Feb. 7 to establish a common secretariat at the state level including Sabah,” he said.
Dr Zambry said Sabah BN is responsible for mobilising all efforts to ensure that the unity agenda can be realised in order to provide the best service to the people of the state through the Sabah Unity Government.
BN also named Sabah Umno Deputy Chief Datuk Yakub Khan as representative of Umno and the coalition in negotiations with the Sabah Unity Government.
This was an about-turn by BN as on Jan. 6, it announced withdrawing support and declaring a loss of confidence in Hajiji as Chief Minister.
Sabah BN Chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who announced this in a special press conference, said the decision was finalised after the political understanding signed between BN and the component parties of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) after the results of the last Sabah State Election (PRN) was “violated by Hajiji”. Bung did not elaborate.
There was also a move by Sabah Umno leaders led by Bung and Datuk Salleh Said Keruak, together with Parti Warisan and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM), to overthrow the State Government led by Hajiji. It fell flat when five of the 17 Sabah BN/Umno assemblymen maintained support for Hajiji.
A Sabah Cabinet reshuffle saw Bung, Yakub and Datuk Jafry Arifin being dropped. Bung Moktar was before that Deputy Chief Minister I cum Works Minister, while Yakub was Science, Technology and Innovation Minister and Jafry was Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister. Salleh was also removed as Sabah Khazanah head.
Asked if he had any grudges against those who tried to oust him, Hajiji said: “In this politics, there is no grudge because the important thing is the interests of the people and also Sabah.
“That is the purpose of us leaders to focus on unity and also development of the state so that our economic activities will increase and the people will benefit. This is the purpose of our struggle and politics.” Asked whether any negotiations were already being held with Sabah Umno, Hajiji said: “Let’s wait.”
Regarding Yakub’s appointment as Sabah BN representative, Hajiji said he had no problem.
“I am open in matters like this because my intention is to deliver progress for the people, unite the people and also focus on developing the state through the development plan that we have launched - Hala Tuju Sabah Forward Jaya (SMJ),” he said.
