Sabah state election: Incumbent beats opposition, Hajiji Noor sworn in as Chief Minister
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Gabungan Rakyat Sabah chairman Hajiji Noor (left) during the swearing in ceremon as Sabah’s Chief Minister for a second term before Governor Musa Aman.
PHOTO: BERNAMA
KOTA KINABALU – Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Hajiji Noor has been sworn in as Sabah’s Chief Minister for a second term before Governor Musa Aman.
Mr Hajiji, who retained the Sulaman seat in the polls, was sworn in at 3.05am on Nov 30 at Istana Seri Kinabalu after GRS formed a coalition state government with Upko, Pakatan Harapan and five independent candidates.
He said that the victory belongs to the people who believed in GRS’ vision and supported its efforts, and thanked them for mandating GRS to serve as the state government again.
He said the people’s unwavering support and belief in the party’s cause drove the win.
“With profound gratitude, I accept the trust you have placed in me and my colleagues in Gabungan Rakyat Sabah to once again lead and serve as your elected representatives,” said Mr Hajiji.
“Let us celebrate this victory as the beginning of a new chapter, filled with renewed purpose and the collective determination to build a better tomorrow for Sabah and its people.”
Mr Hajiji added that GRS is committed to fostering change and progress through the holistic and inclusive Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development agenda.
“We set out to inspire meaningful development and build bridges that unite, rather than divide,” said Mr Hajiji.
“We are resolute in our pursuit of continuity with SMJ 2.0, focusing on four key pillars: Sabah First, Sabah Forward, Sabah Prosper and Sabah United.”
He also reaffirmed GRS’ commitment to advance the hopes and aspirations of all Sabahans.
“Together, we will confront challenges, seize new opportunities and ensure that every voice, no matter how small, is heard and valued,” said Mr Hajiji.
“Let us continue to work together as active partners on this journey of progress. With unity as our strength, let us move forward together and make this moment of victory truly count.”
Mr Hajiji called on GRS’ opponents throughout the election to close ranks and embrace the spirit of democracy.
“Let us build trust and commit to working collaboratively to serve the people effectively and for the greater good of Sabah,” he said.
GRS won 29 seats in the recent Sabah polls.
Upko won three seats, Pakatan Harapan won one and the independents won five for a total of 38 seats to obtain a simple majority in the 73-seat state assembly.
Warisan won 25 seats but was not able to gather enough support to form the state government.
Other parties that won seats were Barisan Nasional (six), Sabah STAR (two), Perikatan Nasional (one) and KDM (one).
Voter turnout was 64.35 per cent, involving ordinary voters, postal voters and early voters for a total of 1,148,476 voters. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
