A war of words has broken out between Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and the opposition Parti Warisan after Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor accused his detractors of spreading falsehoods to tarnish the government’s reputation.
GRS leaders have come to Hajiji’s defense, while Warisan argues that their rivals have not effectively addressed the concerns of the people.
GRS deputy youth chief Iskandar Zulkarnain Ramli criticized Warisan leaders, claiming they lack valid issues and rely on unproven claims to discredit the GRS government led by Hajiji.
“Warisan leaders only know how to criticize GRS and Hajiji without considering the facts,” Zulkarnain said.
Earlier, Warisan’s Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong had highlighted his party’s concerns about the state government’s alleged failure to tackle issues related to water and electricity supply, as well as poor road conditions.
Iskandar countered by pointing out that Hajiji had initiated the Sabah Energy Road Map (SE-RAMP 2040), with the state government taking control of the Sabah Energy Commission from the Federal Government this year.
He stated that this strategic move had led to a more reliable power supply, improved performance by independent power producers (IPPs), and the integration of renewable energy into the power grid, resulting in a reserve of 200MW and decreased power disruptions for consumers.
Steps were also taken to enhance the capacity of water treatment plants and repair dam gates at the Segualid water treatment plant, addressing the issue of “salty” water in Sandakan.
Iskandar further accused Warisan leaders of being involved in actions against illegal settlements in Sepanggar, pointing out that such colonies contribute to the water and electricity issues by stealing utilities.
He also criticized Warisan for halting Pan-Borneo road projects during their tenure from 2018 to 2020, stating that it was GRS who resumed these projects.
Warisan’s Sri Tanjong assemblyman Justin Wong responded by stating that people are eager for change but have not seen any significant improvements after four years under the GRS government.
He characterized the accusations against Shafie and Warisan of spreading falsehoods about GRS as an attempt by the state administration to divert attention from their failure to address fundamental issues.
