KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor reminded fellow leaders in Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) of the political challenges faced by the coalition since it first took over the State Government in 2020.
He said that at the time, everyone understood the aspirations of the people of Sabah who no longer wanted to depend on the political calculations of others to determine the future of the state.
He explained that Sabah then needed a local force capable of speaking with its own voice, making its own decisions and defending the interests of Sabahans with greater courage and dignity.
“That is why GRS was formed and from that struggle emerged Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) as the main pillar to ensure Sabah’s political house remains strong, stable and led by a struggle centred on the people of this state,” he said in his keynote address at the Special Gagasan Rakyat General Assembly at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Sunday.
However, the GRS Chairman said the people had witnessed the reality of politics in the state, where political parties often failed to remain united in a common struggle as some leaders changed direction when elections approached.
Hajiji, who is also President of Gagasan Rakyat, stressed that these developments had provided important lessons for GRS and his party in shaping the struggle and future direction of the coalition, especially in maintaining the stability of the State Government.
“In the past, those who spoke the loudest about Sabah needing to be strong like Sarawak were the same people who passionately called for local parties to unite, speaking about solidarity, Sabah’s political dignity and a local struggle for the people of Sabah.
“But when the time of testing came, when elections drew closer and power and positions became considerations, that was when we saw the true colours of their struggle. Some wanted to leave, some suddenly wanted to chart a solo path, and some abandoned the struggle simply because the positions they hoped for did not become theirs.
“We respect their decisions, we are not angry and we hold no grudges. But the people can judge for themselves who is truly fighting for Sabah. Every such incident must become a major lesson for all of us.
“The true struggle is tested when personal interests had to be set aside for the sake of stability and collective strength. If we truly want Sabah to be strong like Sarawak, then that strength cannot emerge from divided political egos.
“That is why every time someone chooses to leave, Gagasan Rakyat must not become weaker. Instead, we must become stronger, calmer in facing challenges, more mature in making decisions, more organised in our struggle and more united in defending this house of ours,” he said.
Hajiji also reminded leaders in the state not to be overly preoccupied with competing over who is the most local, the most authentic or the loudest voice, because the people do not live on rhetoric.
He said what the people wanted were jobs, a growing economy, opportunities for their children and a stable government capable of solving problems.
“That is the true measure of politics. If we forget this, perhaps we may only win on the stage of speeches but lose the confidence of the people. Today, I speak not only as President of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, but also as Chairman of GRS and Chief Minister of Sabah.
“This responsibility is immense. That is why party decisions cannot be guided by narrow thinking or short-term considerations. At times, we need to reorganise our strength and structure of struggle so that the great house we have built remains strong, stable and capable of being inherited by future generations,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the people must assess the achievements of the government fairly and based on reality, considering that the GRS Government did not inherit an easy situation.
“We took over when Sabah’s economy was affected by the pandemic, politics was unstable and many development issues had long been delayed. But in those challenging circumstances, we chose to work instead of making excuses.
“We reorganised the government’s priorities, strengthened governance and focused on political stability, economic recovery and the foundations of the state’s long-term development.
“That is the discipline of Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) that I have brought. We do not promise change merely through speeches. We began building that change through policies, implementation and results that can be felt by the people,” he said.-pr/BNN
