Pragmatic approach produces proud successes
Published on: Wednesday, November 09, 2022
“Come on, let us be united, determined to excel and continue to fight to put Sabah at the pinnacle of success,” said Hajiji.
CHIEF Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is also Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Chairman, said the GRS’ pragmatic approach has produced proud successes for the economic development of the State and the people and, therefore, this success should be continued.“Following the continuous successes, the mandate given by the people to GRS-BN in the 16th State Election (PRN16) must be continued in this 15th General Election (GE15). Uniquely for us in Sabah, the cooperation between GRS and BN has not only succeeded in creating harmony and stability, but we have also been able to develop the State and protect the interests of the people’s rights as a whole,” he said.
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Hajiji said last October marked two years since the GRS-BN State Government implemented the people’s mandate and throughout that period, they have achieved many achievements together, as follows;
- First, increasing the State’s revenue through its focus and determination in ensuring that all related parties fulfil their commitments and avoid leakages.
- Second, pioneering early achievements with empowerment, participation and revenue sharing in Sabah’s oil and gas industry through the Commercial Cooperation Agreement (CCA) with Petronas. In addition, Petronas has also started fulfilling its full commitment to pay the State Sales Tax (CJN) starting last year.
- Third, implement an investor-friendly approach and successfully increase the rate of foreign and domestic investment, thereby opening up job opportunities. Sabah recorded foreign investment amounting to RM12 billion and domestic investment amounting to RM942 million for the period from January to October 2022 based on the Malaysian Investment Development Board (Mida) statistical report.
- Fourth, working on a four-fold increase from RM26.7 million to RM125.6 million in the Federal Special Grant rate starting this year as an initial commitment by the Federal Government until the final formula is decided under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution. GRS-BN Government will continue to return this amount of increase to the people through the implementation of a new initiative which is the construction of 1,500 units of Rumah Mesra SMJ.
- Fifth, obtaining the authority to issue permits and licenses for vessels and sea fishing equipment in Zone C2 in Sabah waters.
- Sixth, increasing forest treasure management and green sustainability efforts.
- Seventh, introducing various new initiatives including for the development of the younger generation such as educational assistance, leadership training and so on. This includes assistance for B40 students such as the One Off IPT Registration Cash Assistance (BUDI) involving a sum of RM1,500 for students who continue their studies at the Diploma and Matriculation levels, while RM2,000 for studies at the Degree level. It is expected that a total of 5,000 students will benefit from this assistance with an allocation of RM10 million. Besides BUDI, the other educational aids are BAIK, BAKTI, BISBAH and BISTARI. The Government continues its commitment to producing more knowledgeable and highly skilled human capital in the field of communication and information technology (ICT) and a total of RM61.8 million has been allocated for ICT training, courses and development.
- Eighth, the construction of Rumah Mesra SMJ launched last September for those who do not own a house, especially those hardcore poor listed in the eKasih. This house is being built in all 73 state constituencies, involving the special grant amounting to RM125.6 million channelled by the Federal Government to Sabah.
- Ninth, successfully attracted new investment through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth RM20 billion to Sabah. These new investments are focused on the Sabah Oil & Gas Industrial Park (Sogip) in Sipitang which is managed by a state government agency, Sabah Oil & Gas Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (SOGDC).
- Tenth, the State Government is expected to collect in the range of RM2.45 billion per year continuously in royalties and SST payments from the oil and gas sector following the inclusion of Petrochemicals (PetChem) in the recent SST enactment,
- Eleventh, handing over the administration of Sipadan Island and Ligitan to the State Government (repeal of the Prohibited Areas and Prohibited Places Act 1959 (Act 289)
- Twelfth, Implementation of projects such as the Pan Borneo Highway project, rural road projects and other infrastructure projects.
- Thirteenth, the State Government has established the Sabah State Energy Unit under the Chief Minister’s Department to manage electricity supply services during the process of establishing the Energy Commission next year to take over Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB), which is related to the takeover of electricity supply in Sabah.
“We ourselves admit that Sabah is still far behind even though there has been progress and changes. This means we need to work harder and smarter, faster and more agile in order to bring Sabah forward to a point of success that we can be proud of!
“Therefore, let’s together maintain the momentum of this success so that we can achieve greater success in order to build a prosperous and beautiful state and country. We can do all that if we are united, because only with unity will we be strong. We will also be respected if we are strong and united in carrying the voice and struggle of the state and the people. The GRS agreement is not only important for us in Sabah. This agreement is very meaningful to building unity and strength in ensuring that the interests of Sabah continue to be defended in the Federation of Malaysia.
“Translate our manifesto with a willingness to put the great interests of the State above personal and group interests. Realise that political power is a mandate and trust from the people to fight for their destiny and the future of their beloved country.
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“Indeed, the GRS manifesto puts the interests of the state and the people as a whole. What is offered in this manifesto is also the success we have achieved during the two years of government, and will continue for the benefit of all the people.
“Come on, let us be united, determined to excel and continue to fight to put Sabah at the pinnacle of success,” said Hajiji.
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