KOTA BELUD: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor has dismissed the opposition’s claim that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is a failed government.
“If the GRS government has failed, we will not be able to provide so much assistance to the people, and we will not be able to increase the state’s revenue to more than RM7 billion from only RM4 billion previously.
“The opposition only knows how to spread slander and lies on social media. Especially, the two-and-a-half-year government, they have no planning (when they were in power) but now talk big like they know everything,” he said.
Speaking at the SMJ Community Engagement Programme with the Chief Minister at Kampung Pantai Emas here today, he said:
“Since taking over the helm, the GRS State Government has initiated some 400 initiatives under the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan and about 94 per cent have been implemented for the people’s prosperity and state progress.
“Hajiji said the State Government has spent a total of RM1.49 billion to benefit 336,076 welfare aid recipients from 2021 to 2024, which included the General Assistance Scheme (SBAM), the Orphans Assistance Scheme (SBAY), among others.
Hajiji said this was in addition to the RM385.5 million allocated this year for the implementation of the Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat programme (SYUKUR), which benefits 100,000 recipients from the poor and hardcore poor groups.
“For 2025, the State Government has allocated RM488.5 million to implement various poverty eradication programmes,” he said, adding the State Government utilises the Sabah Database or PADANs to identify suitable intervention assistance based on the household head (KIR) profile.
This year, he said the State Government remains committed to supporting the aspirations of the Federal Government in line with the Hala Tuju SMJ development plan and the Sabah State Budget 2025 under the poverty eradication agenda.
Apart from that, the Chief Minister said the State Government had spent about RM1.33 billion for the development of human capital, namely education.
“This has never been done before. We have increased the state scholarship allocation to RM138 million this year compared to just RM50 million previously,” he said.
The State Government had also underlined the Blue Economy to create new wealth and bring in more income for Sabah, he said.
He said this was in addition to the extra revenue generated from the oil and gas sector through the state’s greater participation following the signing of the Commercial Collaboration Agreement (CCA) with Petronas.
Hajiji also said Warisan had been talking as though they were the ones who initiated the Sabah Native Land Surveying Programme (PANTAS), while in fact it had been implemented long before that.
“I need to say all this because I don’t want the people in Kota Belud to be hoodwinked by the opposition’s lies,” he said.
Hajiji, who is chairman of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), also called upon the constituents to ensure victory for the coalition in all four state seats here.
Later, Hajiji, accompanied by SMJ Secretariat Chief Co-ordinator Datuk Datu Rosmadi Datu Sulai, Pintasan Assemblyman Datuk Fairuz Renddan, Tempasuk Assemblyman Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari, Usno President Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia and Gagasan Rakyat Usukan Chief Datuk Japlin Akim, presented the PANTAS land grant to 10 recipients representing 502 others.
The Chief Minister also presented welfare aids, Rumah Mesra SMJ keys, as well as contributions to the 66 schools in the district through the District Education Office (PPD).-pr/BNN
