KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has raised the stakes for Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah by identifying the Lamag and Sukau constituencies as must-win seats for his newly-minted party.
The Sabah Chief Minister and Gagasan Rakyat president told the leadership in both divisions to work hard to ensure victory for the party in the state polls due in 2025.
The Lamag seat is currently held by Sabah Barisan Nasional and state Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, a key figure in the Sabah political crisis in January which could have toppled the Hajiji government.
Datuk Jafry Ariffin, the Sabah Umno secretary, is the Sukau incumbent and is seen as a Bung loyalist.
Bung is also Kinabatangan MP, where both state seats are located.
Speaking during a Gagasan Rakyat gathering for the Sukau/Lamag divisions in Kinabatangan on Saturday (July 8), Hajiji said the prospects look promising for his party, adding they would be able to win more support throughout the state.
"I am most pleased today as it is obvious Gagasan Rakyat is being accepted in Lamag and Sukau.
"The future is bright and I hope both division's leaders will continue to work hard to make sure Sukau and Lamag belong to Gagasan Rakyat in the upcoming election," he said.
Hajiji, who is also chairman of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state coalition, said Gagasan Rakyat was a local party, which was launched on March 2, formed to protect the people's interest in the state.
Together with the six other GRS components, he said they prioritised efforts to reclaim rights of the state and its people.
"This is what we are doing today with this gathering and party launching, which is a reflection that Sukau and Lamag need Gagasan Rakyat to move forward," he said, adding he will give focus to both areas including raising Sukau's status to a sub-district.
"This has been discussed for some time but not fought for by the previous leadership. We will make sure the Sukau sub-district office can be built," he said.
In line with this, Hajiji said he had agreed to approve a project to build a hall in Sukau that will cost some RM3mil.
Bung Moktar pulled his party's support from the GRS government in January and could have unseated the Hajiji-led government with the cooperation of Parti Warisan and smaller parties.
However, GRS managed to muster the support of 44 assemblymen, garnering Hajiji a simple majority in the 79-seat state assembly and remain as Chief Minister.
A state Cabinet reshuffle by Hajiji later saw Bung Moktar dropped as Deputy Chief Minister and Works Minister while two other Umno assemblymen, Datuk Yakubah Khan and Jafry, also lost their state minister positions.
