CHIEF Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor scoffed at talk that land titles being issued to villagers by the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah- Barisan Nasional (GRS-BN) Government is due to Parti Warisan’s efforts.
He said the effort implemented through the Sabah Native Land Services Programme (Pantas) since 2011 was due to the efforts of the previous BN State Government led by Tan Sri Musa Aman. He said the GRS-BN Government continued the efforts implemented by the then BN government to ensure villagers who did not have land got their rights.
“It’s no use for us to progress when there are still people in our villages who are struggling, and they don’t have land. Because of that, we ask for the villagers’ long-standing land applications to be measured.
“However, Warisan spread the word that it is their effort. This is a lie because we have had the Pantas programme since 2011, and that is when we were in the BN government.
“But, when they (Warisan) ruled, they took away all the efforts made by BN and said it’s their efforts, this is all a lie,” Hajiji said at the GRS-BN Consensus Women’s assembly meeting at the residence of former Pantai Manis Assemblyman Datuk Seri Rahim Ismail at Kg Sungai Padang in Papar on Nov 12.
Also present were Pantai Manis Assemblyman Tamin Zainal; Kawang Assemblyman, Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar; former Pantai Manis Assemblyman, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Ismail, Papar UMNO Wanita Chief Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin and GRS candidate for the Papar parliamentary seat, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
Hajiji who is also GRS Chairman said opposition leaders, especially Warisan, are only good at talking and think what others are doing is wrong.
“Shafie (Warisan President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal) when he speaks thinks he is the only one who is smart and everyone else is wrong.
“But how many years was he the Minister of Rural and Regional Development in Kuala Lumpur look at Semporna, even the victims of the fire when he was a minister could not be resolved. We (the GRS-BN Government) allocated RM8.2 million to rebuild houses and infrastructure that were damaged in previous fires,” he said.
Hajiji was referring to a fire incident that destroyed most of the houses in Kg Bangau-Bangau, Semporna in 2015.
Meanwhile, Hajiji said the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Warisan governments were also the cause of the cancellation of development projects for the people, including in this district.
“They cancelled the projects that have been approved because they did not agree such as Jalan Pantai Papar-Lok Kawi when there was approval from the BN government.
“Similarly, the Pan Borneo Highway project is being implemented vigorously but was delayed during the then ruling of Warisan-Plus which resulted in late completion compared to Sarawak. All this happened because of Warisan because this is what they do. They don’t focus on working for the wellbeing of the people and when they did something extraordinary, many become their victims,” he said.
Hajiji expressed confidence in Armizan winning the Papar parliamentary seat. “Warisan had the opportunity to represent this Parliament seat for one term, but no changes were brought or implemented during that period.
“Now we want elected people’s representatives from the government because the opposition cannot bring anything. I want Papar to continue to be progressed and developed,” he said.
