Hajiji speaking to the media at the State Assembly building.
KOTA KINABALU : – Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor has indicated that the recently concluded Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting may be the final one for the current term, setting the stage for the next state election.
When asked by reporters if the just-ended sitting would be the last, Hajiji, who was in a jovial mood, replied, “More or less, yes.”
“The State Legislative Assembly sitting has concluded and all Bills have been passed, so what we have done is for the good of the state, especially the Bills related to carbon, forests, and land. There was also approval for additional allocations for the government, or additional funds needed by the government for management and development until the end of the year.
“Overall, the sitting went well. The government was able to present and explain the various initiatives that we have successfully implemented during our time in office, nearly five years now and now we are only waiting for the time to hold the election.
“We have done our best for the people, even though there is still much more to be done. There are still issues, like the water problem that we inherited from the past, but the current government is already carrying out projects to upgrade our plants to improve Sabah’s water supply,” Hajiji said.
“The same applies to roads and other infrastructure. Many of our current initiatives were never carried out by previous governments,” he added.
Hajiji also pointed to efforts in human capital development, student welfare, housing for the needy, and broader social support.
“We help the poor, the homeless, and students. Now, it’s up to the people to give GRS the mandate again,” he added.
Pressed on the possible dissolution date of the Assembly, Hajiji said: “I cannot say that now… just wait. Once we have decided, we will call our media friends to announce it. Be patient, it won’t be long. I will dream about what date is best.”
Seats negotiations among GRS components and other parties are still being fine-tuned, he added.
“We have already had one or two meetings with our partners as needed. So we will finalise that before we dissolve the State Assembly. What is clear now is that the current government is GRS-PH, that is our basis and we’ll see about the rest when the time comes,” Hajiji said.
Recently, State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Kadzim M Yahya was reported as saying that the 16th Sabah State Legislative Assembly would automatically dissolve on Nov 11, if not done earlier. BP
