Hajiji: People's welfare, efficient public service remain top priorities
Hajiji accompanies Tun Musa Aman, and other dignitaries during the cake-cutting ceremony at the State Banquet.
KOTA KINABALU (June 22): The welfare of the people will always remain the top priority of the state government, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor.
He said various infrastructure facilities are being provided to spur the state's development, including in rural and interior areas.
He emphasised that basic necessities such as water supply, electricity and roads — key foundations for public and state needs — will continue to be prioritised for repair, upgrading and enhancement from time to time.
'Therefore, it is the duty and responsibility of every civil servant to ensure service delivery is efficient and transparent, while promoting a high-performance work culture, in line with the principle that the people are the primary clients of the public sector.
'In this modern and sophisticated era, service delivery must not only be fast but also responsive, accurate and inclusive. An efficient public service is what the people want, and at the same time, it serves as the foundation for the state's development success,' he said.
Hajiji was speaking during the Sabah State Banquet held in conjunction with the 74th official birthday celebration of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah at the Banquet Hall, Menara Kinabalu, on Saturday.
Also present were the Head of State, Tun Musa Aman, and his wife, Toh Puan Faridah Tussin, along with the Chief Minister's wife, Datin Seri Panglima Juliah Salag.
State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Panglima Kadzim M. Yahya, members of the State Cabinet, and other dignitaries also attended.
In this regard, Hajiji urged all parties — from state leadership to civil servants — to carry out their entrusted duties with sincerity, honesty, loyalty, dedication and integrity.
He said the trust placed by the people in the State Government must be upheld wholeheartedly and executed with the highest standards.
'Our main goal is to ensure the state is governed efficiently to facilitate smooth development, as envisioned and hoped for by all of us.
'The State Government remains firmly committed to advancing the state's development and the well-being of its people, especially under the guidance and wisdom of His Excellency Tun, who serves as the symbol of sovereignty, unity and harmony in this state,' he added.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister reiterated the State Government's commitment to strengthening and upholding integrity, good governance and anti-corruption efforts through strategic collaboration with enforcement agencies.
'This includes cooperation with the police, the National Audit Department and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
'I believe values such as integrity, accountability and good governance are not only strong foundational principles for holistic state development but are also vital pillars in safeguarding the sovereignty, prosperity and stability of the state,' he said.
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Or induce us to relinquish our rights to govern Sabah. Or that non-Sabahans can manage Sabah better. Their intention is dubious and blatantly dishonest. It is to dope us. I am not in politic. I see 'Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga' in the prism of simple logic and practical economics. Advertisement If Sabahans Do not Jaga Rumah Kita, Who Can We Trust to Jaga? We better be cautious of anyone trying to convince us not to Jaga Kita Rumah. It is highly irresponsible to farm out Sabah which is our only rumah, to be 'jaga' by non-Sabahans for any reason. If we are unwilling or incapable of 'Jaga rumah kita' we deserve to be poor. Like it has been for the last 40 years. After more than 60 years of independence, Sabahans still cannot unite to juga rumah? Still cannot unite to build Sabah's economy? Do Sabahans have some intelligence handicaps to jaga rumah kita? Autonomy for Branch Manager is a Fairytale. The president of a Sabah party is like the chairman of a company. The head of a Malayan party in Sabah is like a branch manager. Nothing personal. No disrespect is meant. Have never heard that a branch manager can be truly autonomous or independent in the corporate world. Neither in politics. A branch manager is a branch manager. He is not the boss. His boss is in KL. The boss can remove the branch manager. The boss makes all the final important decisions. The branch manager can recommend only. In a crunch, the boss always wins. Either the Branch manager obeys or gets the sack. It is the same system of disciple in politics as in the corporate world. For survival, the branch manager must be subservient, deferential to the boss in KL even at the expense of Sabah. Let us be serious: Do Sabahans want a Chairman of a Sabah party or a Branch Manager of a Malayan party as Our CM? Your answers to the following pointers will tell you how you should choose; Pointers 1: A Chairman of a Sabah party has same status as President of any Malayan party in matters affecting the nation and state. They will meet on equal footing, sit at the same table. Whereas, the Branch Manager of a Malayan party will have no local standi to attend the same meeting. Pointer 2: On critical important issues that affect Sabah's interest, the Chairman of a Sabah party can negotiate, stand firm or demand. Unlikely the Branch Manager can or dare to make a stand in the interest of Sabah. If he dares to go against his boss in KL, he will find himself without a job soon. Pointer 3: What would a Branch Manager of a Malayan party do if he has received an instruction from his boss that will affect Sabah's interest adversely? More than likely, he would say 'yes, boss.' The chairman of a Sabah party can say NO! Pointer 4: Never short of predatory Malayan businessmen who are often backed by some Malayan powerful political war lords coming to Sabah. To them, streets in Sabah are paved with gold. Remember the attempt to black mail and overthrow of Hajiji government? This is not an isolated case. Many 'funny' proposals have been coming in. Hajiji, as CM, has rejected many. Hajiji can say 'The Buck Stops Here!' Can a Branch Manager of a Malayan party afford to say same to his boss and political war lords from KL? Pointer 5. Before Hajiji became CM, the special grant given to Sabah was RM26.7m a year from 1974 to 2018. Hajiji became CM in 2020. He got it up to RM125.6m in 2022. Up again to RM129m in 2023. Up again to RM300m in 2024. Up again to RM600m in 2025 [budget announcement]. A whopping of 2247% increase since Hajiji took office in late 2020. Do you think a Branch Manager of a Malayan party as Sabah's CM can get these increases? If can, why didn't it happen before? Hajiji must have demanded very strongly as Chairman of GRS to get such huge increases every year. A Branch Manager will not open his mouth to demand for fear of losing his job. Pointer 6. Hajiji has said that he would not comprise on Sabah's constitutional rights of 40% share of revenue. Would a branch manager of a Malayan party make a similar stance? Has any branch manager made a similar stance? Pointer 7. This is the absolute reality for all Sabahans to grasp and appreciate. To Malayan leaders, Sabah is at the fringe of national politics. Sabah leaders can be 'kautim' in the past. Their political 'do or die' battle ground is Malaya. For Sabah to be taken seriously, we must 'Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga Baik Baik'. We need a strong CM from a Sabah party with a convincing majority mandate from the 2025 election, to do it. A Branch manager cannot do the job. How about Sabah party JV with a Malayan party? 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Given the present and future complexities of Sabah/Federal relationship, Sabah will need a 'Sun Tze' type of CM supported by a strong majority mandate in DUN after the 2025 election. My favourite philosophy of 'Sun Tze' is 'Victory without fighting'. Calm, no shouting matches, no finger pointing, no passing the buck, no threats. Just get the job done! When it is done, no blowing of the trumpets. This is political leadership maturity. This is statesmanship. The views expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Express. If you have something to share, write to us at: [email protected]
