Hajiji gets top marks for helping Sabah ‘turn the corner’

Hajiji gets top marks for helping Sabah ‘turn the corner’

PETALING JAYA: A former Sabah Law Society president has praised chief minister Hajiji Noor’s leadership, saying his administration is helping the state turn the corner.

In a Facebook post, Roger Chin said Hajiji’s government is laying the foundations of a more self-reliant, results-driven administration.

Chin noted several initiatives implemented by the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah administration, such as the establishment of the state’s energy commission.

He said the setting up of the Energy Commission of Sabah marked a turning point in how the state governs its most strategic resource.

The state government’s decision to take back 50% equity in the producing Semarang oil field under state-owned SMJ Energy was also a significant marker of progress in asserting energy sovereignty, he said.

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“This shift aligns with the broader spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) implementation – returning rights and agency to Sabah without fanfare, but with focus.”

Chin also described as “notable” the creation of the Borneo International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, which he said were the building blocks of an investor-friendly ecosystem.

The state’s ability to secure long-term, high-impact investments, such as E-Steel’s manufacturing facility and other FDI-led industrial projects, reflected such a shift.

“These are not fly-by-night deals but strategic entries into Sabah’s industrial and logistics backbone, particularly in energy-adjacent and halal sectors,” he said.

Chin said Sabah has also improved its fiscal standing, noting that the state revenue has seen stable growth, with increased allocations to development budgets.

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Sabah’s reserves have surged to RM86 billion from the RM2.93 billion recorded in 2020, which he said was a clear indicator of improved financial governance and expanding revenue streams.

“This reflects not just fiscal prudence, but also stronger performance from some state-linked companies,” he said.

He also said the Sabah government has expanded rural electrification, water access, and road upgrades, which were “critical interventions” for a state where more than 40% of the population lives outside urban centres.

Chin said while the state government was gradually tackling longstanding issues in land recognition and native customary rights, much remains to be done.

While bureaucratic delays, inequality, and capacity constraints persist, he said, the approach adopted by the state government has shifted.

“Instead of headline-chasing, the Sabah government has chosen institutional depth and economic realism, a style of leadership that may not always grab national attention but is increasingly delivering results on the ground,” he said.