TUARAN: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has laid out a strong foundation through the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 1.0 to drive Sabah into a great and distinguished state in the country, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.
“We need a fresh mandate from the people so that we can continue with our plan to make Sabah at par with the other states, if not the best in the country,” he said at the meeting with the GRS Sulaman election machinery at the Dewan Rumpun Bajau Samah in Kampung Lok Batik here today.
Hajiji, who is the GRS chairman and candidate for Sulaman, said that over the past five years, the GRS-led State Government has achieved many successes through the Hala Tuju SMJ development plan.
“In this election, the people must vote wisely. We cannot make a mistake in choosing the next State Government. GRS has a clear agenda, and our struggle is clear. We have proven our capability.
“We prioritised the development of the people, we fought to enhance the livelihood of the poor and improved the education of our Sabah children. Beginning this year, we have given RM300 monthly to some 100,000 hardcore poor household heads in the eKaseh list.
This has not been done before.”We gave free houses to the needy through the Rumah Mesra SMJ. Previously, Sabah only obtained about four PPRT houses for each state constituency, but through the Rumah Mesra SMJ programme, we gave 40 houses for each constituency,” he said.
Similarly, Hajiji said the State Government had already taken steps to address legacy problems, such as water and electricity, through the development of 18 new water treatment plants throughout the state and the construction of the Ulu Padas Hydroelectric Dam, among others.
In terms of education, he reiterated that the State Government had spent a total of RM1.3 billion on developing human capital, which is one of the pillars of the Hala Tuju SMJ.
“We are not a government that only knows how to talk, tell lies and promise the moon and stars. They (opposition) have been in the government previously, and some even in the Federal Government, but what have they done during all those years?
“Now they are saying we are a failed government. But who actually failed? It is them. They have been a Federal minister for many years, but failed to address problems in Sabah.”
”We inherited legacy issues such as water, electricity and infrastructure but the difference was we look for solutions and put plans into actions,” he said.
He said the 17th Sabah State Legislative Assembly General Election is unique because there have never been so many candidates, with nearly 596 people contesting for 73 seats.
“It’s okay, we celebrate democracy, but I am sure the people will vote wisely for the party with a proven track record,” he said. Met later, Hajiji noted the 2,500-strong GRS Sulaman election machinery is well-oiled and ready to face the election.
“As I said earlier, I want them to go down to the ground to meet and explain GRS’ contribution, achievements and plan to all voters,” he said, adding that he believed the election machinery would contribute to the victory of GRS in Sulaman.
Similar instructions have also been given to the party election machinery in other constituencies, he said.-pr/BNN
