SUKAU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor defended the capabilities of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-Pakatan Harapan Plus government in administering and managing the State.
He said his administration has not failed in carrying out its responsibilities and duties as the government, despite being depicted by the opposition as a “failed government”.
Hajiji said the accusation was a perception of certain groups who dislike the GRS-PH Plus government and refuse to accept the fact that the current administration has achieved many successes.
“We have done a lot, but there are still people saying the GRS government has failed. GRS has not failed. How can we be said to have failed when we are governing the State well.
“We have increased our revenues, implemented development projects, provided aid to the people and expanded assistance for students across Sabah — from Form Five and Form Six all the way to university.
“Likewise with Petronas, we successfully signed an agreement with the company and that’s one of our achievements.”
“If the State Government were not capable of managing the State, none of these could have happened,” he said at the breaking of fast ceremony with the Chief Minister organised by Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Sukau Division, held in the compound of Masjid Tun Juhar, Sukau, Kinabatangan, Saturday.
Present were State Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, who is also Vice President of PGRS, Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif; Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing and PGRS Supreme Council Member Datuk Isnin Aliasnih; PGRS Sukau Division Chief and Organising Chairman, Datuk Juhari Janan; Asst Minister of Rural Development Datuk Samad Jamri; Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Board (LPPB) and PGRS Vice Chairman Datuk Masiung Banah; Chairman of the Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) Datuk Abdul Ghani Mohamed Yassin and Nominated Assemblyman Datuk Jaffari Waliam.
At the event, Hajiji also presented donations to the underprivileged (asnaf), school bags to students, wheelchairs from the Social Welfare Department to recipients, and SMJ house keys to eligible recipients.
He also accepted membership forms from the former Deputy Chairman of Perikatan Nasional (PN) Sabah Liaison Committee, Aksyah Nasrah, along with 11 former branch heads of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).
The Gagasan Rakyat head is confident the people would again give their mandate to GRS-PH Plus, including winning the Sukau State seat in the coming 17th State Election (PRN17).
“We are not like other leaders who like to slander and talk nonsense without doing anything. They just spread lies and empty talk.
“Do not believe these lies. We want Sabah to continue progressing and that’s why we need to support GRS-PH Plus,” he said.
“We are fair to all races and communities regardless of their background. If given the opportunity, we will continue the progress we have planned through the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Roadmap, including in Sukau, Lamag, and Kuamut here in Kinabatangan,” he said.
On Sukau, which is now a sub-district, Hajiji said the area would develop even more rapidly under the new Sub-District Office, particularly in tourism sector, which is a key strength of the local economy.
Meanwhile, Juhari said there are more focused development in the Sukau sub-district following aspirations of the people.
He hoped the Government would review the construction of the controversial second Sukau Bridge which activists and NGOs protested would destroy the tourism potential as it is home to pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, orang utans and other iconic wildlife.
He claimed the bridge would not disrupt the local wildlife ecosystem but provide road access for residents and users in the surrounding areas.
