Hajiji (seated, tenth from the right) with other guests posing for a photo with the Community Development Leaders (PPMs) after the Swearing-In and Signing of the Pledge Ceremony at Menara Kinabalu today.
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor has urged all parties, especially Community Development Leaders (PPMs), to assist the Government in explaining its achievements to the people in their respective areas.
He said many accomplishments of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Government under his leadership have not been widely publicised, leaving the public unaware of actual developments.
“The failure to disseminate information comprehensively has made issues such as water and electricity supply, as well as damaged roads, appear more prominent on social media, even though the GRS Government is actively addressing these problems.
“You can be regarded as the eyes and ears of the Government. Your main task is to help explain government policies, programmes and successes to the people. Help spread the Government’s achievements, as many successes have been delivered for the people.
“Through the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development blueprint, we have revitalised Sabah’s economy post-Covid-19, increased revenue from RM4 billion to RM7 billion and our reserves have risen to more than RM8.6 billion.
“The same goes for investments. For example, the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP) is now fully occupied, and most recently, an investor from Singapore invested RM31 billion there, expected to create 6,000 to 7,000 job opportunities,” he said at the Swearing-In and “Aku Janji” Pledge Ceremony for the new PPMs at Menara Kinabalu here today.
Hajiji said if the GRS Government were considered a failure, SOGIP and other industrial parks in Sabah might still be empty due to the lack of investors.
Congratulating the newly sworn-in PPMs, he expressed hope that they would actively assist the Government in conveying accurate information to the public and effectively explaining government programmes and policy achievements.
“I want all PPMs to carry out their duties with full integrity and commitment for Sabah’s future and the generations to come,” he said.
Hajiji emphasised that the role of PPM is a significant trust that must be executed responsibly, serving as a bridge between the Government and the people on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said the State Government would strengthen the implementation of the SMJ 2.0 Development Roadmap, scheduled to be launched at the end of this month, to further reinforce economic, infrastructure and public welfare agendas across the state.
He said the implementation of the SMJ Development Plan by the GRS Government since 2021 has laid a strong development foundation and delivered benefits to the people across various sectors.
In addition to economic matters, Hajiji said the Government would continue to focus on human capital development, public well-being, and improvements to basic infrastructure such as water supply and road networks through strategic planning under SMJ 2.0.
He stressed that issues related to infrastructure construction and maintenance under the Federal Government’s responsibility would continue to be raised with the Federal authorities in the interest of Sabahans.
A total of 45 PPMs took their oath of office and signed their pledge letters.
