KOTA KINABALU: Former senior civil servant Datuk Ruji Ubi has declared that he is now “mentally and physically” ready to plunge into the Sabah state election with an eye to winning the Merotai seat in Tawau for Pakatan Harapan.
Ruji, who has kept a low public profile but worked the ground in preparation to contest the seat since July, said that he was determined to secure victory for the unity government in Merotai.
“I’m ready. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have started working as early as July 24. We’ve already set up our operations room, and many central leaders have come down here, including the Prime Minister,” he said during a community engagement event at Hot Spring in Tawau on Sunday (Nov 2).
A Tawau native, Ruji said it was important for the Merotai seat to be won by the unity government candidate so that federal allocations and approved projects can be implemented more effectively.
“What matters isn’t just the amount of approved funding, but its execution. With my experience as a former secretary-general in three ministries and director-general of one agency, I’m confident I can help accelerate the implementation of projects approved by the Prime Minister for next year,” said the 55-year-old native who retired in June, this year.
Ruji said that over the past three months, he has been on the ground meeting and engaging with the people across Merotai and received very positive feedback.
“I’ve visited every mosque and market in Merotai. The response has been excellent, and my confidence is growing. Although some say I’m new, I’ve long been active in the field, including during my time as (federal) Sabah State Development Director,” he added
Ruji also noted that cooperation between Pakatan and its partner Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) was good as they have held joint programmes and coordination meetings.
“So far, cooperation among unity government component parties has been excellent. The Prime Minister himself visited Merotai last month, a clear signal of central leadership’s confidence in this area,” he said referring to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s tacit backing for him on Sept 27.
Ruji, who dismissed talk that he was Pakatan’s chief minister candidate, said his main goal was to win the seat and not about positions or titles.
“I want to be Merotai’s bridge to Putrajaya. Opportunities like this don’t come often, so the people of Merotai should take this opportunity to align with the government for the area’s development and people’s well-being,” he added.
During a meet the people’s event in Tawau on Sept 27, Anwar told the crowd that he had told Ruji 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,” Anwar said.
Merotai seat is held by Parti Warisan’s Sarifuddin Hata who is expected to defend the seat in the Nov 29 state election.
Ruji has held various senior positions in the federal civil service including secretary-general for the Home Affairs Ministry and Education Ministry prior to his early retirement.
