PERIKATAN Nasional is set on naming Hajiji Noor as its chief minister candidate, despite the disapproval of its political partner, Sabah Barisan Nasional.

Perikatan information chief Mohamed Azmin Ali said it is confident in Hajiji as the latter has a long track record as a state assemblyman and a clean image.

Hajiji is a seven-term assemblyman for Sulaman and a former Sabah Umno veteran. He is Perikatan’s point man in Sabah and the chief of Sabah Bersatu, Perikatan’s biggest component party.

“We have a candidate with a clean and long record of service to the people. We hope that he will be considered as the chief minister candidate,” Azmin told reporters in Kg Bolong in the Tuaran district while campaigning for Hajiji.

Perikatan is in a loose and tenuous pact with Sabah BN and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) to wrest control of Sabah from Warisan Plus in the September 26 polls.

Political observers and rival coalition Warisan Plus have often pointed to the lack of a credible chief minister candidate from Perikatan-Sabah BN as proof that the pact is disunited and too unstable to govern Sabah.

Warisan Plus is fielding incumbent Mohd Shafie Apdal from Warisan as its choice for chief minister.

Sabah BN has said that whoever becomes its chief minister will be decided on which party and coalition wins the most seats in the polls.

Sabah BN is contesting 41 seats, Perikatan (29) and PBS (22). Despite being allies and disagreeing on the candidate for the top post, they are also pitting candidates against each other in 17 of these seats.

In the Kg Bolong event, Azmin spoke at length about Hajiji’s positive traits compared with Shafie’s.

This included Hajiji’s reputation of tirelessly helping his constituents as the reason why he has held the same seat for a record seven terms.

“His house is always open to those who need help and he helps, regardless of race, religion and political affiliation.”

In his own speech, Hajiji unveiled his plans for Sabah if chosen as chief minister, which includes modernising fisheries and farming, boosting tourism and bringing in more manufacturing to the region.

He also criticised Shafie for bungling the distribution of Covid-19 aid to Sabahans, saying it was given out to only a select few close to the Warisan Plus government.

“Shafie talks about Sabah for Sabahans, but in reality, it is Sabah for Semporna,” he said to about 200 Perikatan party workers from Tuaran. – September 15, 2020.