Hajiji marks 100 days in office, to fulfill pledges despite challenges
KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor today celebrates 100 days in office as Sabah Chief Minister, a period in which he has had to face various challenges especially the Covid19 pandemic.
Despite having to meet various testing challenges, Hajiji, who was sworn in as the state’s 16th Chief Minister on Sept 29 last year, reiterated that the pledges he made to the people during the Sabah state election will be fulfilled by the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government.
He said during the recent Sabah election, GRS had outlined its commitment with nine main thrusts, namely Sabah rights, infrastructure, economy, employment, public service, health and well-being, education and human capital, security, and youth and women’s development.
“In the ‘100 days Pledge’ of the government, we have formulated programmes and are implementing them, but the problems we faced when this new government was formed including Covid-19 has slowed down the implementation of the planned programmes.
“However, the pledge and the programmes we planned would be implemented as best as possible once the Covid19 pandemic has eased… the GRS government has actually implemented some of the nine core thrusts and is committed to implementing them as soon as possible,” he said in an interview with Bernama and Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM).
To realise what was promised to the people, Hajiji said the
good relationship between the state and federal governments has now helped to solve various problems, and in fact, the warm ties has successfully been translated into various benefits enjoyed by the state and the people themselves.
Giving an example, he said the close relation between the state and federal governments has helped in the effort to obtain a five per cent sales tax collection from Petronas which could be used to help develop the people and the state.
“If we want to move forward and ensure our people progress, we have to work with the federal government ... the federal government is also formed by the state of Sabah, with Sabahans, Sabah leaders and government officials from Sabah involved in the federal administration.
“We need the help of the federal government; I do not like confrontation, we will be prudent in getting our rights ... as Sabahans we have the right to protection and obtain what we should get from the federal government,” he said.
He said Sabah’s rights are enshrined in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63) and the state government would give priority to obtain the rights of the state, among others involving the devolution of power from the federal government to the state.
Hajiji said another important focus of the state government was to develop the infrastructure and maintenance system of Sabah public facilities where the GRS government allocated RM1.6 billion from the RM4.3 billion Sabah Budget 2021, tabled on Dec 18 last year.
He said in the budget debate, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin stressed that the state was looking into ways to accelerate the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway which is important for Sabah, including Private Financing Initiative (PFI).
He said the GRS government is currently focusing on reviving and redeveloping the state economy which has been hit by Covid-19, among others by helping affected entrepreneurs.
“I started drafting a five-year plan on Dec 8, the formation of the Sabah Economic Advisory Council and Invest Sabah Bhd.
“I also directed the construction of a new Sabah economic model which will provide stable long-term economic growth,” he said.
Apart from that, he said the state government also introduced the Sabah Maju Jaya Development Plan 20212025 to revitalise the state’s development which, among others, will focus on addressing public health issues and also formulate strategies to stimulate state development. — Bernama