KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is looking forward to a new year filled with investment and development opportunities, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said that with the 15th General Election (GE15) concluded in 2022, it is time for all close ranks, work together and to put aside differences and to continue doing good for Sabah.
Hajiji said that with a new unity Federal Government in place, it is time for all to unite and move forward with economic recovery.
“As we usher in the New Year, there is so much for us to be thankful for. The election dust has settled and a new Federal Unity Government is in place,” he said in his New Year message on Saturday (Dec 31).
“2022 has been a good year and we have done well under the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Roadmap. Our successes are proof that we are on the right track,” added Hajiji.
He said to date, the state government has garnered RM6.6 bil in revenue and added that this is its best performance yet since independence and the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
“The state government will not rest on its laurels. We will continue to implement a robust policy to bring in more investments to the state and create more economic spin-offs as evidenced by the recently passed RM5.138bil State 2023 Budget," said Hajiji.
Hajiji added that the state government has achieved record foreign direct and domestic investment under its SMJ initiatives, the latest being the RM19.6 bil integrated green steel project at the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP).
He said with this in place, Sabah is set to secure RM33.4bil, and added that there are several investment projects that are in the process of being implemented.
Hajiji then added that Sabah is also expected to collect an additional revenue of RM2.45 bil annually in royalties and State Sales Tax (SST) payments from oil and gas.
“We will pursue this momentum and set our targets on the many opportunities the state can leverage on all sectors across the state,” said Hajiji.
He said all these successes and future plans will not mean anything if Sabah does not have a conducive environment to pursue its development goals.
“For this to happen, it is crucial that we have political stability. We must discard any forms of divisiveness that will only pull us apart,” he said.
“We must forge forward into the new year with resolve, united in diversity and in doing good in accordance with the mandate given to us by the rakyat,” Hajiji added.
He said that all should join hands to realise the four growth pillars to support the state’s development agenda of Sabah First, Sabah Forward, Sabah Prosper and Sabah United.
“We can do it! I would like to thank my colleagues in the state government including civil servants as well as the people for their continuous support,” he said.
“We look forward to working closely with the new federal government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” said Hajiji in wishing all Malaysians a prosperous New Year 2023.
