KOTA KINABALU: Dismissing talk that he is Pakatan Harapan’s chief minister candidate, senior civil servant-turned election aspirant Datuk Ruji Ubi says his focus is to win the Merotai seat.
“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 said.
The Tawau native said it is important for the Merotai seat to be won by a unity government candidate so that federal allocations and approved projects can be implemented more effectively.
“With my experience as a former secretary-general in three ministries and director-general of an agency, I’m confident I can help accelerate the implementation of projects approved by the Prime Minister for next year,” said Ruji, who retired from the civil service in June.
The 55-year-old held various senior positions in the federal civil service, including secretary-general for the Home Ministry and Education Ministry prior to his retirement.
Ruji said 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 serving the people,” he said at a community engagement event.
During a meet-the-people’s event in Tawau on Sept 27, Anwar gave Ruji tacit backing when he told the crowd that it was time for the latter to return to his hometown to serve.
The Merotai seat is held by Parti Warisan’s Sarifuddin Hata who is expected to defend the seat in the Nov 29 state election.
