Coalition’s chairman Hajiji Noor says this has allowed his administration to focus on Sabah’s development and the wellbeing of its people.
He said this newfound stability has allowed the state to experience tangible progress, reversing the uncertainty that had plagued Sabah’s political landscape since 2018.
Hajiji was referring to the seemingly endless political drama that followed GE14, which saw the toppling of a state administration, the ousting of a chief minister, assemblymen switching allegiances, and the infamous “Kinabalu Move”—all of which left a bitter taste in the mouths of ordinary Sabahans.
The “Kinabalu Move” refers to the attempted coup by Umno, led by the party’s state chapter chief Bung Moktar Radin, to oust Hajiji as chief minister in 2023. It failed after several Umno assemblymen defied a party directive and threw their support behind Hajiji, preserving the stability of his administration.
“At times, Sabah tends to go overboard in the name of democracy. Everyone is a politician. We have the most political parties in the country.
“And we see even more coming out of the woodwork as the state election inches closer,” Hajiji, who was appointed Sabah’s chief minister in 2020, told FMT in an interview.
He said the abundance of political outfits in the state drove him to unite the various parties—which for the longest time had been at loggerheads—under a single banner.
“There was need for unity and collaboration among these parties. That is why I formed GRS.”
Although these parties had to make significant compromises, Hajiji said the exercise achieved the desired result: a stable government which lasted the full term.
This stability in turn, meant that the Sabah government, for the first time in over a decade, was able to focus on development and the wellbeing of its people, as proven by an increase in revenue and state reserves.
Limiting the CM’s term
It has also helped GRS to initiate reforms, including a move to cap the chief minister’s tenure to two terms, a rarity by those in power.
Commenting further, Hajiji said two terms in office would be “enough”.
“Even the US, the most powerful democracy in the world, limits their president to two terms.
“There’s no necessity to hold on to power for a longer spell.”
Hajiji said limiting the chief minister’s term is important to prevent the office falling into the hands of those who covet absolute power or inhibit the progress of new leaders.
In 2022, Hajiji was reported as saying that the Sabah Cabinet had in principle approved the proposal to limit the chief minister’s term.
The proposal will be tabled at the state assembly if government backbenchers and the opposition agree to amend the state’s constitution. - FMT
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