KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Sabah's longest-serving elected assemblyman, is confident of retaining the Sulaman seat for a ninth term.
Hajiji said that with the people's support for him and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), he would be able to retain the seat in the upcoming state election.
Hajiji was first elected for the seat in 1990 on a Parti Usno ticket and subsequently joined Umno, which spread its wings to Sabah in 1991 with the dissolution of Usno led by Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun at the time.
ALSO READ: Hold your horses, state polls not so soon, says Hajiji
After the 2018 state election, with the collapse of the state Barisan Nasional government, Hajiji led an exodus out of Sabah Umno to join Bersatu, which spread its wings to Sabah in 2019.
Hajiji retained the seat in the 2020 snap state election on a Perikatan Nasional-Bersatu ticket, teaming up with Sabah Barisan Nasional led by Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin to topple the Warisan-Pakatan Harapan state government led by Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
However, with the formation of the unity government after the November 2022 general election, Hajiji led a mass exodus out of Bersatu into local-based Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat), which now leads GRS.
Sabah Barisan-Umno withdrew its support for GRS in January 2023 while Sabah Pakatan backed Hajiji and his coalition, allowing him to remain at the helm.
ALSO READ: GRS govt has not failed, says Hajiji
GRS will be going into the coming state election for the first time under its own banner and is widely expected to tie up with Pakatan under an electoral pact.
Speaking at the presentation of kitchen implements to about 1,000 housewives in Sulaman at the Bajausamah Cultural Centre in Tuaran on Monday (Sept 1), Hajiji said women played an important role and the GRS government continuously assisted in their welfare and needs.
"We appreciate the role of women and we do not forget about their welfare," he said, adding that the people's prosperity, which includes taking care of their welfare, was among the priorities of the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya development plan.
He was confident that support from women, particularly in Sulaman, would bring GRS victory in the elections.
ALSO READ: Politicians go full throttle as Sabah election looms
Hajiji, who has said that the next term will be his last, also hit out at the opposition for claiming that the GRS administration is a failed government.
"When I took the helm, Sabah, like other parts of the world, was facing a grim situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the country’s political landscape was volatile.
"In those difficult times and with resolve, we... pushed forward with Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya," he said.
Hajiji added that the development plan, formulated to revive the state's economy after it was adversely affected by the pandemic, has borne fruit as seen in Sabah's economic performance.
