State Government sensitive to people's needs, says Hajiji
TUARAN (June 28): Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said the State Government of the day is a government that is sensitive to the needs of the people.
He said various development projects and assistance have been implemented for the prosperity of the people in Sabah.
In Sulaman, he said many development projects have been completed including Rumah Mesra SMJ, roads upgrading, bridges and jetties with more coming up.
'God willing, if the GRS government is given another chance to govern the State, many other projects like the Labuaya concrete bridge here will be implemented,' he said.
Speaking at the Suang Olung Kaamatan 2025 Festival celebration, launching of the Sabah Lotud Development Association and opening of the Dewan Orang Tua Kari Bin Guban in Kampung Tutu Selupoh here on Saturday, he also called upon the Suang Lotud community to remain united.
'We must stay united and to ensure a brighter future for the community.
'I want the Dusun Suang Lotud community here in Tuaran to become a great community and not lag behind,' he said.
Hajiji who is also Sulaman assemblyman, said in order to become a great ethnic race, the Dusun Suang Lotud must embrace a positive mindset.
'By doing so, I have full confidence that the Dusun Suang Lotud could be at par with other ethnic races in Sabah,' he said, adding the Suang Lotud community must also ensure their culture and tradition is protected for the future generation.
The Suang Olung Kaamatan 2025 organised by the SALDA involved nine villages – Kampung Tutu, Penampang Baru, Limposu, Roun, Kiwatu, Labuaya, Selupoh, D'Angki and D'Mulus.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
19 hours ago
- Daily Express
Not easy for Chinese to trust Warisan: ‘Party favoured certain ethnic group and practised nepotism in appointments' claim
Published on: Friday, August 15, 2025 Published on: Fri, Aug 15, 2025 Text Size: Norazlinah and Mohammad. Kota Kinabalu: A former Warisan leader says the party may face difficulty securing support from Chinese voters in Sabah due to several unpopular decisions made during its tenure in government, including perceived favouritism towards certain communities in public sector appointments. Norazlinah Arif, the party's former Wanita chief, claimed there was internal dissatisfaction with Party President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal's leadership between May 2018 and September 2020, particularly over the appointment of state department heads. The Kunak Assemblywoman said Warisan failed to uphold its own 'unity' slogan when it ran the State Government by allowing widespread nepotism in appointments to senior positions. 'It's not just the Chinese. Other races also did not feel Warisan was fighting for Sabah anymore,' she said. Norazlinah, who left Warisan on Feb 6, 2023, said the party's decision to exit Pakatan Harapan and contest the 15th general election independently also complicated its relationship with Chinese voters. Which was why GE15 saw Warisan lose the Penampang and Sepanggar seats to Pakatan. Referring to Shafie recently unveiling the party's new 'Save Sabah' slogan, positioning Warisan as a Sabah party to win voters over, she said such rhetoric would only lead Warisan to repeat its 2020 state election defeat. 'How can we believe in a party, which was supposedly established on the basis of unity, but only focuses on certain communities?' she said. Mohammad Mohamarin, another Assemblyman who left Warisan together with Norazlinah, said the 'Save Sabah' slogan failed to address basic issues such as water, electricity and roads. The Banggi representative said the party's narrative makes Sabah seem like it is in dire straits, even though Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has been working hard to resolve the state's longstanding issues. 'In the Warisan state government, we waited for over two years for initiatives to resolve these issues. We were forced to meet with the chief minister (Shafie) but received no aid. 'The current (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) State Government has implemented many initiatives, so the notion that Warisan will 'save Sabah' is not accurate,' said the former Warisan supreme council member. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
19 hours ago
- Daily Express
Immigration raids put off to facilitate digital registration of foreign workers
Published on: Friday, August 15, 2025 Published on: Fri, Aug 15, 2025 By: Jonathan Nicholas Text Size: Saifuddin chairing two joint meetings with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor at Menara Kinabalu. Kota Kinabalu: The Federal Government on Thursday announced a moratorium on immigration enforcement in Sabah to allow the State to complete its ambitious programme of digitally registering foreign workers. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the move was aimed at helping the State Government gather accurate, centralised biometric data to better manage its large migrant population. 'We agreed today to facilitate the digital registration of foreign nationals by the Sabah Government. For that reason, we will suspend enforcement to give them space to register under this initiative,' Saifuddin told reporters after chairing two joint meetings with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor at Menara Kinabalu. Saifuddin said 113,282 foreign nationals have so far been recorded in the system, mostly plantation workers, but with plans to extend the registration to agriculture, manufacturing, mining and quarry sectors. The database, which stores photos and fingerprints, will enable real-time monitoring, tracking and policy-making based on credible data. Saifuddin stressed that the exercise has nothing to do with granting citizenship or permanent residency, and that citizenship matters were handled separately under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution. At the same meeting, the Special Committee on Citizenship for Sabah processed 1,247 applications, drawn from over 2,000 submitted between 2021 and 2024, covering categories such as children born out of wedlock, those in care homes and applicants whose parents are non-citizens. The Home Minister also addressed the often-misunderstood plight of the Bajau Laut, or sea gypsies, a stateless community traditionally living in coastal waters off Sabah. He said State-led projects, such as one at Pantai Manis in Semporna, were providing structured settlements and training opportunities in sectors like agriculture and plantations, including at Felda Sahabat, contrary to public perceptions of neglect. 'Far from being abandoned, there are efforts to house them on land and train them for work in various fields. These are rarely reported, so people don't see the State Government's ongoing work,' he said. Turning to the high-profile death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, Saifuddin confirmed that Bukit Aman's special task force had found serious procedural failures by local police, including a decision not to proceed with a post-mortem despite having no legal barrier to do so. He said the exhumation had been completed and preliminary forensic findings were consistent with earlier medical examinations. The results have been shared with Zara's mother and her lawyer. 'On Monday at 11.30am, I will deliver a ministerial statement in Parliament to explain this matter in full,' Saifuddin said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Joint federal-state committee set up to fast-track citizenship applications under Article 15A in Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: A joint federal–state committee has been set up in Sabah to fast-track citizenship applications for stateless children and other eligible applicants under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution. The committee, co-chaired by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, held its first meeting here on Thursday (Aug 14). Under Article 15A, citizenship may be granted in special circumstances to children who are stateless, born out of wedlock, from care centres, or whose parents are non-citizens. Saifuddin said the new committee's main aim was to speed up decisions on such cases, which often take years to process. 'Today, we decided on 1,247 applications out of more than 2,000 received in Sabah between 2021 and 2024. This committee will help ensure cases are reviewed and decided more efficiently,' he told a press conference after the meeting. A similar committee already exists in Sarawak, where it has helped clear backlogs in citizenship cases. Saifuddin stressed that the committee's work is separate from other immigration matters, such as foreign worker registration or permanent residency applications. 'This is strictly about applications under Article 15A. Each case is carefully reviewed before a decision is made,' he said, adding that the exercise is currently under the Chief Minister's Department and discussions will continue on possible data-sharing and other next steps. 'If there is an application, this committee will consider it for citizenship, but applications must be made to the Home Ministry,' he added. Touching on Sabah's digital registration of foreign nationals, Saifuddin said 113,282 people, mostly from the plantation sector, have been registered under a centralised biometric system so far. 'Data collection currently focuses on the plantation sector, including employers and their dependents. This involves taking photographs, thumbprints and other details. The exercise will later expand to sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying,' he said. He added that the registration exercise is unrelated to citizenship, permanent residency, or naturalisation. 'It targets foreign nationals working in Sabah and aims to improve monitoring, tracking, and management in real time,' he explained. Asked when the exercise would be extended to other sectors, Saifuddin said: 'If you ask me, it should have been done last month. But I have asked the State Government to finalise a reasonable timeframe. I am optimistic this is the right direction.' During the meeting, Saifuddin said they also agreed to impose an enforcement moratorium for a 'reasonable period', to be set by the Sabah government, so that foreign nationals have time to register. 'On one side, the Sabah Government is collecting and digitalising data on foreign nationals for future monitoring. On the other, the Immigration Department also has an enforcement role, targeting those who misuse their passes, overstay, or enter illegally. 'To avoid a clash, where registration is happening on one side but enforcement is carried out on the other, we agreed to suspend enforcement temporarily. We need accurate and credible data to develop more comprehensive policies on the presence of foreign nationals in our country,' he said. Meanwhile, Saifuddin said the Bajau Laut community, mostly found off Sabah's south-eastern coast in Semporna, is not being left behind. Known as sea nomads, they are part of ongoing efforts to help them settle on land and find steady work. He said the Sabah Government, with federal support, has been moving members of this sea-faring community from boats and stilt houses to proper settlements on land, such as Pantai Manis in Semporna. They are also being offered work opportunities in places like Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu plantations. 'It is far from the perception that this community is isolated or neglected. The truth is, efforts to bring them into the economy and daily life on land are already under way. Unfortunately, these efforts do not get enough media coverage, so many people do not know about them,' Saifuddin said. The Bajau Laut, who have long relied on fishing and lived mostly at sea, face challenges such as limited access to education, healthcare, and stable jobs. Current initiatives aim to address these gaps by providing housing on land and work training.
