Tuaran: Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said Monday that he was never one to indulge in self-promotion throughout his tenure as Chief Minister the past five years.
His primary focus was on promoting the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Roadmap Development Plan which serves as the foundation and guide for the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-led State Government’s efforts to develop the state.
“What is on my mind is developing Sabah, working to increase the State’s revenue from RM4 billion to RM7 billion. This year, we may even reach nearly RM8 billion.
“If we manage the State well, we can achieve this. We have an investor-friendly policy, attracting businesses and factories from both within the country and abroad.
“If they see that the State Government lacks planning or has political instability, they would not come.
“When they invest here, our economy grows, and we create many job opportunities for our people — thousands, even tens of thousands. This is what we are doing,” he said, at the Leader-People Iftar (breaking of fast) for Pantai Dalit constituency at the Nur Falah Mosque in Kg Mengkabong.
Hajiji said the State Government’s achievements would not have been possible “if we did not know how to govern properly”. He said there were former leaders who claimed to be economic experts but achieved nothing. They only focused on politics, running here and there, cutting concession companies and making all sorts of decisions with no real purpose other than their own interests.
He said unlike the previous administration, his government since taking over had never taken actions that would harm the State.
“We would be at a loss if we did that. But in the past, they terminated six or seven water concession companies, causing us to lose RM315 million for nothing due to court rulings. That was their doing,” he said, and urged the people to assess the past wisely, learn from history and prioritise political stability.
He expressed confidence that the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-Pakatan Harapan (GRS-PH) Plus Government would again be able to form the administration after the 17th State Election (PRN17).
“Give us your support, and I am confident that in Pantai Dalit, we will win with an overwhelming majority. Not to mention Sulaman. I believe all four constituencies in Tuaran, including Tamparuli and Kiulu, will remain under GRS.
“We have no other choice. The opposition did nothing before; they had no direction. The people should not be swayed by their dirty tactics and slander. They have nothing else to do. Everyday, it’s the same thing.”
Hajiji, who is also the Sulaman Assemblyman, addressed concerns about traffic congestion, particularly along the Berungis roundabout to T-Junction route.
He said the problem would soon be resolved with the completion of an upgrade project for the route, which has already been allocated a budget of over RM100 million, and a contractor has been selected to carry out the work soon.
“This issue has been frequently raised by Jasnih as the Pantai Dalit assemblyman, and as a responsible government and a Chief Minister from Tuaran, such matters are a priority for me.
“I have provided strong support not only to Pantai Dalit but also to Tamparuli and Kiulu. This is what we do as a government — we are fully committed to ensuring the administration is well-managed,” he said.
Also present were Assistant Rural Development Minister Datuk Samad Jamri; Pantai Dalit Assemblyman Datuk Jasnih Daya; Tempasuk Assemblyman Datuk Arsad Bistari; Sawit Kinabalu Group CEO Datuk Victor Ationg; and local community leaders.
