KOTA KINABALU, March 4 — Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has expressed his displeasure with certain parties who mock the sacred Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) slogan either through writings or comments on social media.

He said even though SMJ is a simple phrase, it carries a message and great meaning calling on every Sabahan to love progress and success.

“Our intention and desire is to raise and exalt the sacred slogan Sabah Maju Jaya from the state Coat of Arms which is always seen and read by us, but there are many who ridicule it,” Hajiji said during a gathering of state and federal civil service members at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) in Kota Kinabalu today.

“To me, making fun of and disparaging the Sabah Maju Jaya slogan is the same as disrespecting, or not loving, even insulting one’s state.”

“The fact is, we need to be determined to excel and work diligently as committed and responsible public service members to make Sabah more advanced and see its people progress. Whatever the issues and challenges ahead, we need to face them together with tenacity and wisdom.

“Don’t be easily influenced by infighting or provocation by irresponsible parties who only want to see us continue to fight. We need to focus fully on efforts to make Sabah more advanced and successful,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hajiji said the Sabah government will continue to ensure that the lives of its people are secured by taking several proactive measures including resolving emerging issues related to basic needs, especially electricity, water and housing.

He said the issue had been a perennial one for Sabahans, and without pointing fingers at any party, the government led by him since September 2020 has implemented various efforts to ensure a more comfortable life for the people.

“We launched the Sabah Energy Roadmap and Masterplan 2040 (SE-RAMP 2040) last year as an effort to shift away from non-renewable energy sources such as natural gas, and depend on the river network in Sabah.

In the meantime, Hajiji said the Ulu Padas Hydroelectric Dam project in Tenom, which is expected to be completed in 2029, will expand the flow of electricity by connecting the southern and south-eastern regions of Sabah thus creating a more stable energy network.

He said the project will also help solve the long-term water supply shortage with the production of 6,000 million litres of water per day (MLD), thus becoming a catalyst for change for Sabah and thus guaranteeing a better life in the future.

To ensure a more stable water supply, the government also increased the water supply capacity at Phases 1 and 2 of the Telibong water treatment plant, from 130 MLD to 160 MLD, which can supply water in the northern area of Kota Kinabalu including Tuaran, Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park and Universiti Malaysia Sabah, he said.

Hajiji said that all state civil servants regardless of position have a responsibility and role to ensure that what the government wants can be achieved.

In addition, he said the state government also gave priority to the digitisation programme with special emphasis on culture and development at the state public service level. — Bernama