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For Sabah to achieve faster economic progress after 40 years in the doldrum and erratic growth, the followings are critically important factors to have:

[1] a strong government with credible leaders. The leaders must have economic management credentials.

[2] an equitable and balance Sabah/Federal relationship.

[3] political stability.

[4] a top-notch core of elite senior government officials with a high professional standard, integrity, digital know-how and ability to break down silos within and among ministries, agencies and departments. Must have a deep appreciation of geopolitics for Sabah to deal with an increasing complex, multi-polar world.

[5] A core of elite senior government officials with in-depth knowledge and appreciation of the Sabah’s economic problems. Hajiji has established most of the essential fundamentals for Sabah’s economic future.

Hajiji has succeeded in winning the 2025 election, now with a solid majority. Backing him is 54 DUN. More than 2/3. With this number, Hajiji can implement wider and deeper economic restructure and transformation.

Hajiji has already laid some sound economic fundamentals during his last government. Equitable balance Sabah/Federal relationship.

Sabah/Federal relationship was his toughest. We have been played around for 60 years plus. Hajiji has done remarkably well in rectifying the lopsided Sabah/Federal relationship. The respect level for Sabah has improved considerably as proven in the regain of oil and gas rights and other matters.

There is much more to done. The comfort is that it is on the right track after more than 60 years of lopsided relationship. Now armed with a stronger Sabahan centric government, Hajiji is better positioned to effectively negotiate on the 40% and other outstanding issues.

Unprecedented amount of investment [RM58 billion] has flowed into Sabah or are being finalized.

This is the biggest amount of investment in Sabah’s history. Hajiji’s investor friendly policies will attract more investments in the next several years.

KKIP and SOGIP are more than 90% taken up by investors. New industrial parks are being planned.

A new manufacturing base has been established which Sabah never had before.

Many jobs have been created, especially in the oil and gas industry.

There is a greater demand over supply for Sabahans with the right skills in this industry. Tourism has recovered to pre-covid level.

Tourism is now back to pre-covid level. Tourism’s contribution to Sabah’s GDP is at 12% and some 376,000 people are employed directly and indirectly.

All the above are vital factors in the context of Sabah for achieving economic progress in the next 5 years.

The Sabah Law Reform Council is working hard to update many seriously dated laws.

SMJ 2 will be implemented. The Blue Economy will be on stream.

Some reformation in GLCs has been done, with appointments of younger, progressive and above all, responsible professionals as chairmen and CEOS.

Most meaningful for ordinary Sabahans, Hajiji has set a policy for investors that their staff must compromise 80% Sabahans. Thanks to some senior government officials who have contributed to these successes.

Why a top-notch core of elite senior government officials is vital for Sabah’s economic future?

Hajiji wants to do a lot more for Sabah to achieve his objective of common prosperity for all Sabahans. This highly desirable target is hard to achieve and will require the followings:

Sabah’s political leaders can produce world class policies. But they will require senior government officials implement them. The quality of the results of these policies is highly dependent of the performance of senior government officials who are responsible for their implementation.

One of the reasons that Singapore with no natural resources has become the richest country in the world with GDP per capita of USD157,000 and China can uplift 800 million Chinese out of poverty in 40 years and can rival USA in economics and military, have progressed way ahead of Malaysia, is their outstanding, dedicated senior government officials.

Sabah must have many more highly knowledgeable dedicated senior government officials.

The traditional style of senior government officials of the old British system is very out of date. The world has moved on to high tech, economic problems have evolved in complexities and everything is moving with unprecedented speed and intense competition. In Sabah’s context, there is a lot of legacy problems that need innovative technical and financial solutions.

Dealing with senior federal government officials require a high degree of sophistication.

The old style of going to KL and quietly listening with little interaction has been a major setback for Sabah in the last 40 years. Sabah officials should be able to follow through on the results of the 2025 election, i.e. they must be on par with their federal counterparts. They should be able to stand up for what is due and what is right for Sabah in a forthright manner.

Hajiji has already announced the revamp of GLCs. Given their big number, the myriad problems and the fact that only a few GLCs are well managed, many elite officials will be required to assist Hajiji to undertake this revamp.

This is a huge complex task. Not to be underestimated. Success in the GLC revamp will give Sabah many huge positive economic impacts.

Sabah must go beyond our own border, venture into other countries for our economic benefits. Sabah needs senior government officials to have an appreciation of international trade and geopolitics.

As Sabah’s economy grows in sophistication, we must engage with other countries for investment and market access. Sabah cannot rely on KL only. Such reliance has not produced the desired results.

Sarawak government has established good working relationship with Singapore for many years. Sarawak has significantly ramped up its cooperation with China in 2025, shifting focus from traditional construction toward high-tech industrial parks, floating solar energy, and the hydrogen economy. Revamp policies and administrative system to empower Sabahans in their business and daily life. Ordinary Sabahans and Sabah businessmen are not asking much. All they want is certainty and decent speed in their dealings with government officials, especially with the front -line officers:

Simple approvals are very difficult for Sabahans to obtain.

Be it a simple letter, an uncomplicated, straight forward approval can take months, sometimes, a year or 2 years. Very common that an ordinary Sabahan needs to request a letter from a YB or a minister to expedite the process. Even these letters are no guarantee. They are just too many Napoleons from the lowest rank upwards in Sabah. Every Napoleon is a little king unto himself.

The Napoleon system has produced prolific “runner” rackets everywhere. With some payment, these runners are more effective than YBs. These runners are like toll gates that Sabahans must pay to go through.

I hope Ministers, senior officials and heads of department will solve this runner issue that ordinary Sabahans and businessmen are facing every day. This is the single most common complain for ordinary Sabahans and businessmen. This riles the voters and turn them anti-government in every election.

Hidden cost in Sabah is very high.

For businessmen, delay is costly. Engaging a runner is costly. Some runners are fake or cannot deliver. In addition to delays are bad internet and poor infrastructures all add up to the cost of doing business in Sabah. Sometimes, the hidden cost is more than the “open” cost.

Sabahan businessmen suffer from being sidelined by GLCs.

Most GLCs favour Malayan companies for their JVs. Most failed projects in KK are JVs by GLC with Malayan companies. The GLCs are not in tune with “Sabah for Sabahans” policy.

Imagine how thankful and happy Sabahans can be if JTU can further improve do followings: Safar Utong, when he was the JTU Director, pioneered a number of innovative improvements that have upgraded its level of services tremendously.

Lands and properties [houses and apartments] are most important assets for a majority of Sabahans. Therefore, JTU’s role can affect, favourably or unfavourably, the economic well-being of almost all Sabahans. JTU can help the government to make Sabahans very happy in the following manners:

[i] Shorten and simplify processing and approval time on simple land matters to within 1 month, NOT months or years.

[ii] Give automatic approvals for extension of tenure for tens of thousands of land titles with less than 30 years of tenure with pre-determined and approved land premium. This is being practised in HK, China, Selangor, Sarawak, UK.

[iii] Facilitate fast track conversion with very affordable conversion premium for NT owners so that they can benefit directly and not to rely on NON-bumi [mostly Sarawakians] to undertake conversion. It is estimated that between 3000 to 5000 NT owners can benefit from this exercise. Or to put poignantly, this policy, with a stroke of the pen, can make 3,000 to 5,000 NT owners millionaires.

[iv] To deliver strata-titles within 12 to 24 months from date of OC, not years, some more than 10 years and still under process. Stringent control of property developers should be introduced to prevent delays in the issuance of strata titles.

Here are what other countries can do:

Singapore: 2 to 4 months after TOP [Temporary Occupational Permit]

China: 1 to 6 months.

Malaya: 1 to 2 years for new projects.

Sabah: 5 to 10 years [I believe this is improving.]

[v] To eliminate the existing extensive “runner” racket by introducing a transparent system. [vi] Senior government officials should see to it that their officers under them are responsive to ordinary Sabahan’s requests/problems and act to solve them quickly.

[vii] Set up UTC style of counters in every town and district office that can provide quality of services like those in UTC. Can Sabah civil service be one of the best in the world?

Of course it can, provided:

[1] Sabah’s politicians let them be professional, let them do their work with no political interference. Don’t use them to do things they shouldn’t do.

[2] Meritocracy will do wonders. The good officers will rise. An elite core of officers will emerge. Sabah will be one of the best managed states.

[3] Give our civil servants who excel competitive pay package. This is innovative. This is the only way. No pay differential for those who work diligently and those who don’t work? Who wants to work hard? Where is the justice? [4] Use “Digital First Governance” that will give transparency, time sensitive and convenience to the public. Folks don’t need to go down their knees or forced to pay runners to get things done. Are there good efficient officers in Sabah?

Yes. Many. Must identify them, groom them, and promote them on fast track to positions of responsibilities. Or lose them. Sabah’s future is in the hands of these capable, honest, hard working officers.