KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor wants the Report on the Implementation and Achievement Status of the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) to be tabled annually by each state ministry beginning this year on March 29.
“I have directed the State Secretary that on March 29, not only each ministry must table
their respective report but we also have to organise an Open Day to allow the people to
listen, see and feel the meaning and value of the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya.
“I hope all government agencies are ready to furnish the report on the status of implementation and achievements of the initiatives under their respective purview.
“I also want Federal agencies in Sabah to present their planning and status of programmes as well as projects being implemented for the people to see and understand,” he said, adding that he hoped the State Federal Secretary’s office will coordinate the participation of the federal agencies during the Open Day.
“This is imperative because I hold steadfast to the principle that the success of the government development agenda is not just when the value and meaning of the development are heard but it must also be seen and felt by the rakyat,” he said.
He said initial economic indicators had shown that Sabah is on the right track as far as SMJ is concerned among them curbing the economic downward growth due to the Covid-19 pandemic, rehabilitating the state’s economy and registering an all-time high revenue of RM5.449 billion for the financial year ending in December 31, 2021.
In his address during the State Civil Service Assembly at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Tuesday, Hajiji who is also Finance Minister said the
key to successfully implement ing a development agenda is the commitment to work as
a team.
“As the leader of the Government and State, I need a team that has a full grasp of the
meaning of the state development direction. Acceptance and togetherness is the foundation, while the thrust is commitment and will to work and achieve a common goal,”
he said.
The spread of Covid-19 became critical after the State Elections in Sept 2020 requiring
the GRS Government to take immediate steps to formulate Sabah’s economic recovery
strategies, he said.
Six months after taking over the State Government, the GRS Government launched the
Hala Tuju SMJ on Mar 29, 2021, to chart Sabah’s development for the next five years.
“The success of this development plan depends on the acceptance, unity, commitment
and will of the people as well as the civil service personnel as major stakeholders,” he
said.
Just as the state crest belongs to all Sabahans, he hoped everyone accepts that they
are heading in the same direction through the SMJ.
“At the same time, I am confident that all understand that a progressive and successful
Sabah is important for Malaysia as a whole. The state’s economic growth has a direct
impact on the national economic growth rate.
“As an important region, Sabah’s progress will strengthen the Federation of Malaysia,”
he said.
Hajiji said the State Government deeply appreciated the high commitment of the Federal
Government to fulfilling Sabah’s development needs as aspired by the rakyat.
The Federal Government’s commitment was manifested through the actions to resolve
matters arising from the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63) and the amendment to the
Federal Constitution recently.
The formalising of the Commercial Collaboration Agreement (CCA) between the State
Government and Petronas on December 7 last year was also due to the political will of
the Federal Government to give Sabah greater say, greater participation and greater
revenue in the oil and gas industry, he said.
In less than a month after the CCA formalisation, the result can be seen through the
launching of the Sabah Gas Masterplan, while Petronas had begun to fulfil its
responsibility by paying the State Sales Tax on Petroleum products, he said.
“Alhamdulillah, due to cooperation and effective strategies, today the GRS Government
have successfully realised the people’s aspirations,” he said.
“The fact is the public service is part of the successes, which means political will must
be followed up by implementation that requires support from the public service
personnel,” he said.
Towards this end, the Chief Minister is confident that under the Keluarga Malaysia spirit,
the 20,363 state and 103,030 federal civil service personnel are capable of ensuring a
successful implementation of the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya.-pr/BNN
