KUDAT, Oct 18 — Ensuring that poverty does not determine the fate of Sabah’s children or stand in the way of their progress has become a personal mission and commitment for Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. 

He said this resolve is rooted in his own life experiences: growing up in poverty, losing his father at a young age, working as a fisherman and a farmer and watching his mother struggle to raise him.

In an emotional account, he recalled how his mother had to borrow RM15 from relatives to pay for his Lower Certificate of Education (LCE) examination fees in 1971, as she wanted to give him a chance to break free from the cycle of poverty through education.

“Parents today face the same challenges in raising their children and providing them with an education. That is why I have firmly resolved to ensure poverty does not determine the fate of our children. Education is what can lift our children out of poverty.

“If the government has the means to remove even one obstacle from a Sabah child’s journey towards progress and success, then at the very least, we must not allow poverty to determine their fate before they even have the chance to try,” he said.

Hajiji, who is also Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman, said this in his keynote address at the 2026 GRS Convention at Dewan Tun Mustapha here today.

Driven by this commitment, he said he had ensured that the state government increased the allocation for the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS) to RM155 million in 2026, up from RM55 million in 2021, to fund the education of students from underprivileged backgrounds.

He said 480,000 students had so far benefitted from 14 educational assistance initiatives under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development framework, including the BUDI cash assistance, Ihsan Computer Assistance (BAIK) and student flight ticket subsidy (SUBFLY).

Addressing the economic landscape, Hajiji stressed that the Sabah government was now ready to move into a phase of genuine development empowerment to address long-standing issues affecting the people, supported by increased state revenue that had reached RM7 billion annually.

“Efforts to address large-scale infrastructure needs are being set in motion through the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), which includes 173 Public Works Department (JKR) road network development projects and 77 projects related to water treatment plants and supply systems throughout the state,” he added.

He said the Commercial Collaboration Agreement (CCA) with Petronas in 2021 also marked a significant turning point, boosting the participation of local vendors in the oil and gas sector to 499 contracts in 2025, compared with just 133 previously.

“The state government is also committed to continuing Sabah’s pursuit of its rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) at the negotiating table with the Federal Government, guided by facts, financial data and a strong legal basis,” he said.

Hajiji said the state’s ongoing infrastructure and economic development efforts were complemented by targeted welfare initiatives, including the construction of 11,000 homes under the ‘Rumah Mesra SMJ’ initiative to assist vulnerable groups and young couples. 

He added that construction would continue, with a target of building 50 ‘Rumah Mesra SMJ’ homes in each state constituency this year to ensure that the benefits of Sabah’s progress were shared by all, including rural and interior communities. — Bernama