Hajiji said the state would regress if the mandate was returned to a “tried and tested” party, which had failed to perform when it was in power.
“Don’t ever give them a second chance,” he said while campaigning for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s Darau candidate, Razali Razi, here tonight.
Hajiji, who is also the GRS chairman, said the previous state government’s track record, prior to GRS taking over the administration, “spoke for itself”, and voters could now make a more informed decision.
Sabah was governed by Warisan between 2018 and 2020.
He said GRS provided a more stable government as the coalition’s components comprised parties representing the various races and ethnicities in Sabah and had a clearer vision for the state, as outlined in its manifesto.
He said the plans GRS had for Sabah included economic development and welfare initiatives for lower-income groups.
On Nov 23, Hajiji said voters should not be swayed by the various slogans espoused by opposition parties, as such rallying cries did not reflect the realities on the ground.
He said slogans like “Save Sabah”, “Make Sabah Better”, and “Rebuild Sabah” were vague on what exactly these parties wanted to save, improve or rebuild.
“Some have already had the opportunity to govern Sabah, yet they are once again contesting with all these slogans,” he was quoted as saying.
Hajiji also took a veiled dig at Warisan for its slogan, pointing out that it failed during its two-and-a-half years in government. “They now say ‘Save Sabah’. What is it they want to save?” he said.
Village reserve land
Hajiji said the Sabah government had decided to designate several parcels of government land around Kota Kinabalu city, particularly in the Darau and Karambunai areas, as village reserve land.
He said the land will be officially gazetted as village areas to provide proper settlement for local residents who are currently living in squatter settlements.
“We have previously decided on this matter at the state Cabinet level. We are aware that many of the squatter areas are occupied by local residents. Therefore, we will convert the government land into a village reserve,” he said.
“Once the village is gazetted, residents will no longer have to worry about being evicted or relocated.”
He said the land and survey department was currently surveying the areas identified.