CHIEF Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor said the people of Sabah must set aside differences and work together for greater economic recovery in 2023.
He said as the election dust has settled and a new Federal Unity Government is in place, much still has to be done.
“As we usher in the New Year, there is so much for us to be thankful for. 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. To date, the State Government has garnered RM6.6 billion in revenue, proof that this is our best performance yet since independence through 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 RM5.138 billion State 2023 Budget, the biggest in the state’s history.
“Under our investor-friendly SMJ initiatives, we have achieved record foreign direct investment as well as domestic investments. The latest is the RM19.6 billion integrated green steel project at the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park (SOGIP).
“With this in place, we are set to secure RM33.4 billion, including several more investment projects that are in the process of being implemented.
“Sabah is also expected to collect additional revenue of RM2.45 billion 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,” he said in his New Year 2023 Message.
However, Hajiji said all these successes and future plans will not mean anything if we do not have a conducive environment to pursue our 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. “We must forge forward into the new year with resolve, united in diversity and on doing the best in accordance with the mandate given to us by the rakyat.
“Let us 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!” he said.
He thanked colleagues in the State Goverment including civil servants as well as the people for their continuous support and that he is looking forward to working closely with the new Federal Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“Warmest wishes to all Malaysians in Sabah. I wish all of you a prosperous New Year 2023,” the Chief Minister said.
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