TUARAN: Sabah has registered a sluggish economic growth, with the State Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at its lowest level at 0.5%, while under the Warisan Government administration, said Sabah Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) Chief Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.
He said Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) President Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Shafie Apdal need to admit his failure in administering and managing Sabah economy that resulted in the Sabah GDP plummeting to 0.5% in 2019.
He said Shafie and the Warisan leaders need to accept the fact of their failure, instead of continuing to blame the previous government and use this as an excuse to hide their failure.
According to him, the people regretted and sad on knowing Sabah has registered the lowest GDP in the entire Malaysia.
“Shafie admitted himself as an economic expert and that together with his political partners from UPKO, DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) they are supposedly capable of administering and developing Sabah.
“Unfortunately, after over two years of running Sabah, the State’s economic and GDP has continued on plummeting down to its lowest level,” he said.
He said this when officiating at the Tuaran BERSATU Srikandi Division’s Conference held at the Linangkit Cultural Village hall in Kampung Selupoh near here today.
Hajiji, who is incumbent Sulaman State Assemblyman, said Shafie and his allies have failed to develop the State economy, and failed to provide jobs for the people of Sabah which led to the rise in unemployment rate.
He said the latest report by Malaysian Statistics Department released in August 2020 stated that Sabah GDP has contracted in the last two consecutive years, at 1.5% in 2018 and then 0.5% in 2019.
Unemployment rate also stood at its worst level within the period of 20 years at 5.8%. It means more than 117,000 people of Sabah are jobless.
He said the State economic trend is very unhealthy and this is also proof that Shafie and Warisan have failed to develop the State and in looking after the welfare of the people of Sabah.
“As the Chief Minister, Shafie has done nothing to boost and stimulate Sabah’s economic growth. Shamelessly, he is just clever at accusing and blaming the previous government to the extent that this led to the GDP to contract,” he alleged.
Hajiji said to save Sabah from its dying economic condition, the people who had wrongly voted and change during the last General Elections (GE) must reject Warisan and its allies namely UPKO, DAP and PKR during this State Election (PRN) and the General Elections (GE).-pr/BNN