KOTA KINABALU: PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that former education ministry secretary general Datuk Ruji Ubi has joined the party amid speculations that he might be named the candidate for Merotai in Tawau.
Widely tipped to contest the seat in the coming Sabah elections now held by Parti Warisan’s Sarifuddin Hata, Ruji was introduced and brought to the stage during a meet the people event in Merotai attended by Anwar on Friday (Sept 26) night.
Though the Prime Minister did not outright name him as the candidate, he said that he had previously told Ruji that it was time for him to return to his hometown to serve.
“I said to him (Ruji), it is time for you to ‘balik kampung’ and look after the people,” he said to the cheers of the crowd.
Following his early retirement on June 21 this year, Ruji had said that he wanted to return to his village at the age of 55 to do farming in Tawau.
He was among the few civil servants from Sabah who held various high positions in the federal public service.
With a Master’s degree in International Studies (Peace & Conflict Resolutions) from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, Ruji had served as the secretary-general for the Home Affairs Ministry, appointed Director of Sabah Development Office (SDO) and served as Deputy Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Defence.
He was also the chief executive officer of the Eastern Sabah Security Command where he played a vital role in enhancing Esscom assets among other achievements for the Esscom.
For his tenure at the SDO, he was instrumental in implementing projects for the people such as the longhouse projects in Kota Marudu, the refurbishment of dilapidated schools throughout Sabah, including in the Kalabakan constituency and rescued troubled projects in several districts.
When he served at the Home Ministry, Ruji set a path for the groundwork for the ICQS sites in Bantul, Nabawan, and ICQS Serudong in Kalabakan, secured funding for the new Police Headquarters (IPD) in Nabawan and IPD Kalabakan, as well as opening a Branch Office of the National Registration Department in Kalabakan, Tawau.
Political circles have said that Ruji is the likely chief minister’s candidate for PKR.
