KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has directed the 18 newly appointed Political Secretaries to play a stronger role in ensuring State Government policies and assistance are clearly communicated to communities at the grassroots level.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony at Menara Kinabalu on Thursday, Hajiji said the role was crucial, particularly in explaining initiatives under the Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0 roadmap, which is set to begin next year.
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He said the last State election revealed a disconnect on the ground, with many voters unaware of government assistance despite wide publicity, including key decisions such as the recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate and the awarding of scholarships to its holders.
Hajiji noted that substantial allocations exceeding RM1.3 billion for education and human capital development, along with aid such as free laptops, student subsidies, exam assistance and Rumah Mesra SMJ housing, were often not known to intended beneficiaries.
He also said the government would fairly consider requests for office management allocations from opposition assemblymen, warned political secretaries against abusing their positions, and stressed that action would be taken against anyone who betrayed public trust.
