KOTA KINABALU: The opposition flatly refuses to accept Sabah's progress under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-Pakatan Harapan government, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said the opposition kept harping on a "lack of progress" but conveniently refused to acknowledge the development and economic initiatives that are in place and already benefitting the people.
"We have... implemented many initiatives for the (economic) well-being of the people," Hajiji said at an event to mark the upgrading of interior Sook from a sub-district to a full district on Monday (April 28).
"These claims by the opposition that the GRS-Pakatan government has not brought any development to the state are false.
"These are the claims of those who deny the successes brought by the government.
"However, we will not keep silent, but continue to work for the development of the state and the people," said Hajiji, who is expected to call for the dissolution of the Sabah assembly before its term is completed in November.
He said assistance was also given to children from B40 families who successfully furthered their studies at higher education institutions.
Other forms of student aid included IPT Registration Cash Assistance (Budi), the Special Examination Cash Assistance (Bakti), Computer Kindness Assistance (BAIK) and special subsidy on RM800 flight tickets (GRS-Subfly) to students who studying in the peninsula and Sarawak, as well as RM300 given under the Sentosa programme for higher education.
"This is part of 13 state government educational assistance initiatives for eligible students," he added.
Hajiji said other initiatives included the construction of 3,000 units of SMJ Friendly Houses in all 73 state constituencies at a cost of RM250mil.
The latest aid this year is the Sentuhan Kasih Rakyat (Syukur) programme, he said, which will benefit about 100,000 recipients through cash assistance of RM300 per month until the end of the year.
On the opposition's criticism about water supply, electricity and roads, Hajiji said his government inherited those decades-old problems and was in the process of solving them.
