Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor reminded the new appointees of their responsibilities to uphold the public’s trust in them. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor reminded the new appointees of their responsibilities to uphold the public’s trust in them. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KOTA KINABALU, November 9 — Fifteen new political secretaries including a former PKR state leader took their oaths of office for their appointment to the new Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition government today.

Dr Roland Chia, a former Inanam assemblyman and a former PKR supreme council member known as a loyalist of Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, was appointed as the political secretary to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor today along with chief political secretary Abdul Kassim Razali and Datuk Redonah Bahanda.

In a statement issued today, Hajiji reminded the new appointees of their responsibilities to uphold the public’s trust in them.

“The rakyat has given this new government the mandate to rule and it is incumbent upon us to do our best, more so in the wake of this pandemic that has brought many challenges and hardship across all sectors,” he said.

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He asked them to keep their ears on the ground and to counter and correct the rampant untruths widely spread by the Opposition in the social media against the government.

“It is time to work. Do your best to support your ministers and be a good team,” he said.

The GRS government now consists of eight parties — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, Umno, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, Sabah Progressive Party, Parti Bersatu Sabah, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, MCA and most recently, PAS with its inclusion into the State Assembly.

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The GRS came to power after snap polls was called in September following a failed coup attempt on the Warisan government by former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman on July 29.

Shortly after the September 26 election, Hajiji was appointed chief minister after some internal issues deciding on who should lead the state, and the state went into a lockdown following a big spike in Covid 19 cases which led to a third wave of nationwide pandemic.