KOTA KINABALU: Warisan promised the people “the moon and the stars” but failed to deliver when in office as gross domestic product (GDP) plunged to the lowest rate on record.
“The data proves Warisan leaders only talk big, but in reality, didn’t know how to run the state,” said Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan.
Nizam who is also Apas Assemblyman and Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) information chief said data from the Statistics Department had shown that Sabah recorded the lowest GDP rate of 1.5 per cent in 2018, compared to 8.2 per cent the previous year – the highest in the country.
And the Statistics Department figures also revealed that Sabah’s GDP contracted in 2018 and the following year – at 1.5 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively.
And yet Warisan critics continually blamed Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor and the GRS administration for the power and water problems.
“But what did they do when in government?”.
Warisan leaders, he said, were going around the state criticising the Chief Minister and his administration without a shred of shame, though they themselves had failed miserably to tackle the problems during their two years in office.
“And, the record shows that the Chief Minister had worked tirelessly to find ways and means to resolve these legacy issues.
“Hajiji has the people’s interests at heart,” Nizam said.
And, he also recalled that the Warisan government had appointed a private sector individual to helm the state Water Department, an appointment not in accordance with Section 3 of the Sabah Water Supply Enactment 2003.
“And, we were joyous when the Chief Minister had the support of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar who approved a RM320 million allocation to help resolve the water problem in the state,” Nizam added.
The GRS government, he pointed out, was doing its level best to ensure legacy issues would be a thing of the past.
“The government is also carrying various programmes to grow the economy and to look after the people’s well-being. We walk the talk.
“Booming revenue of over RM12 billion in the last two years spoke volumes about the capabilities of the Chief Minister and his administration,” Nizam said.
