Sri Tanjong assemblyman Justin Wong described Hajiji’s blaming of the previous Warisan government as a “trump card” to absolve his administration of any responsibility over problems related to fundamental issues like electricity, water, and roads.

“However, what he failed to realise is that this so-called ‘trump card’ can no longer apply because of how long he has been the chief minister (since the 2020 state polls)?” he said in a statement.

“Do you think the people would still choose to believe him that it was the failure of the previous Warisan government that led to all these problems when clearly Shafie Apdal was the chief minister for only a brief period of 26 months?”

Wong also accused Hajiji for using such an excuse to justify unpopular decisions, such as the increase in the imbalance cost pass through (ICPT) tariff rate this year, which Hajiji said was a decision made by the federal government.

“When I asked him whether he objected to the hike prior to the announcement, he accused me of trying to make a political statement in the state assembly and said that I was making a fuss by questioning him,” he said.

Wong’s response comes after Hajiji dismissed claims of disappointment and failure to advance the state under his leadership as the head of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-Pakatan Harapan-plus state government.

The Sabah chief minister urged the opposition, particularly Warisan, to reflect on their performance during its two-year tenure before criticising.

On such allegations emerging on social media, Hajiji accused Warisan leaders of distorting the facts by making such posts.

Wong challenged this assertion and questioned how Hajiji could make such claims without doing a fact-check on the backgrounds of the netizens.

“Look at every post available on every social media platform. Judge for yourself if Warisan is capable of writing every comment. Don’t simply make accusations without proof,” he said.