KOTA KINABALU, Sept 28 -- Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin is confident Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is able to restore the spirit of the people towards the new state government’s capability to protect their welfare.

Therefore, Bung Moktar said, the GRS leadership comprising Perikatan Nasional (PN), BN and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) would be taking steps to ensure the people in the state are protected after the coalition formed the new state government and Datuk Hajiji Noor announced as Chief Minister takes his oath.

“We (GRS) agreed to name Hajiji as chief minister based on the awareness and confidence that the state government to be established is capable of rehabilitating the spirit of the people towards the new administration.

“It is one of the major responsibilities for the state government in future. But with the cooperation of all quarters, I am confident it would be resolved tomorrow, Datuk Hajiji Noor would be installed as Sabah Chief Minister, and we will start taking measures to ensure the people receive the attention,” he said.

He was speaking at a media conference after attending a closed-door GRS meeting at a hotel here today.

Also present in the media conference were Hajiji, who is Sabah PN chairman; Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and PBS secretary-general Datuk Jahid Jahim.

In this regard, Bung Moktar who won the Lamag state seat said GRS is committed to focus on efforts to develop Sabah.

The Sabah UMNO liaison committee chairman also reminded the people in the state not to play politics or think of problems of Sabah.

Earlier, GRS announced Hajiji who is also Sabah Bersatu chief  was named as the candidate for Sabah Chief Minister and he is expected to take his oath at Istana Negeri tomorrow.

In the state election on Saturday, Hajiji defended his Sulaman seat he has been contesting since 1990 with a 3,099-vote majority.

-- BERNAMA