30% allocation for Housing Developers in Sabah to build low-cost housing is for the good of the people, Hajiji Noor

The proposed requirement for housing developers in Sabah to allocate 30% of their new housing projects for low-cost housing is for the good of the majority of the people, Local Government and Housing Minister, Datuk Hj Hajiji Hj Noor stated on 29th November 2011.

“As a responsible and caring government, we have the duty to look after the interest of the majority,” he said in a statement, in reply to Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda) president Datuk Susan Wong.

Yesterday on 28 November 2011, Susan said Shareda strongly objected to the proposal, saying that it will add to development cost and in the process increase prices of medium cost and above houses.

Announcing the proposal in the State Assembly recently, the Minister explained that the move was to enable the lower income group to own houses in the urban areas.

“This is the voice of the people, what the people want to see, as reflected in the suggestion made by a State Assemblyman. I was merely responding to the wishes of the people,” he added in his statement.

On the contention by Susan that the move will increase development cost, Hajiji said may be it is about time that housing developers play a greater part in fulfilling their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rather than just profit-making.

“Give some back to society. Where there is a will, there is a way. The Wah Mie Group has shown that it can be done when they incorporated low-cost housing into their Sepanggar housing development and the government appreciates it,” he pointed out, describing Wah Mie as a good corporate citizen.

Susan had also said that the government-owned Sabah Housing and Town Development Authority (LPPB) should focus on building low-cost houses. To this, the Minister assured that the focus of LPPB is still on low-cost housing which is heavily subsidised by the government.

“Due to influx of rural folks into the major towns, low-cost housing built by the government is never enough. We need the co-operation of the private sector,” he stressed.

Responding to Federal Deputy Housing Minister Datuk Lajim Ukin’s remarks that the Sabah government should not rush into implementing the proposal, Hajiji said he found it puzzling as the policy was nothing new and had already been successfully implemented at the national level.

“As the deputy minister in charge of housing, I think he knows the background of this policy,” Hajiji concluded.

Datuk Hajiji to Liberal Democratic Party - Don't practise Crab Culture

KOTA KINABALU 25th April 2011

Sabah Barisan Nasional and UMNO treasurer Datuk Haji Hajiji Haji Noor (above picture) has advised the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) not to practice what he calls ‘Crab Culture’ which is against the spirit of Barisan Nasional (BN).


“In crab culture, no one gets to the top because each crab is trying to pull the other down.

“As Sabah deputy chairman Datuk Seri Panglima Salleh Tun Said had pointed out, in Sabah BN and UMNO there is only one leader and that leader whom we support is Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Hj Aman,” added Hajiji who is also Sabah Minister for Local Government and Housing.

Hajiji pointed out that in politics one wins some and loses some and it is not easy to satisfy everybody, as in the case of BN which has many family members.

“As the saying goes, either you have the cake or you don’t, you can’t take the whole cake and eat it,” he stated.

Hajiji who is Tuaran UMNO divisional chief is the latest among State UMNO leaders who joined the chorus in coming to the defense of Musa following a recent statement by LDP deputy president Datuk Chin Su Phin calling on the Prime Minister to effect changes in the Sabah and Sarawak BN leadership.


The controversial LDP Deputy President, Datuk Chin Su Phin



The embattled LDP President, Datuk VK Liew

Yesterday, LDP president Datuk VK Liew said Musa “drew the line against the party by sidelining it” during the recent State Cabinet reshuffle due to some personal differences with the party’s members.

Hajiji reminded Liew that being a BN component party president and as a lawyer as he described himself, the latter should know better that the appointment of State Cabinet Ministers is the prerogative of the Chief Minister just as it is the right of the Prime Minister to choose his Federal Cabinet members.

Liew is a federal deputy minister in the Prime Minister Department.

He reminded that when a Minister is appointed, he is a Minister for all the people and not a Minister for members of a particular party only.

Thus, when no Minister is appointed from LDP, it does not mean that the Chinese are not represented. There are three Chinese members of the State Cabinet, with two from Gerakan and one from PBS.

Hajiji recalled that when former LDP president Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat was made Chief Minister despite the party having only three State Assemblymen, UMNO and other component parties supported both his appointment and choice of Cabinet members.

“We supported him all the way, be it as Chief Minister or State BN chairman, in line with BN spirit and principle. We did not question where he was from or how many seats his party got,” he stressed.

“Apart from Chong’s appointment, ever since BN took over the reins of the State Government, LDP leaders had also been appointed to various government positions including that of Cabinet Minister, Assistant Minister, Deputy Speaker, chairmanship of statutory bodies and so on. UMNO and other component parties never complained that they were sidelined,” he pointed out.

Hajiji also recalled that when cornered by reporters just before the Batu Sapi by-election late last year, Liew stated that LDP would work with and supported Musa’s leadership for the sake of BN solidarity, or something to that effect. He noted that Liew made that statement only after the LDP Congress in Tawau and not before.

Even then, Liew’s statement was once again ‘disputed’ by his deputy Datuk Chin who said that LDP was doing so only out of respect to and on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Hajiji advised that at a time when BN component parties are gearing up their machinery to prepare for the general election which may be held anytime, LDP should do likewise and not behave in such a way which may cause disunity among the components and the people as a whole.

“BN has proven to be the best formula for the multi-racial and multi-religious society of Malaysia so much so that even the opposition tried to copy us by forming a similar alliance.

“BN also practices politics of unity and goodwill among the various races. Let us together preserve this unity which is vital for the survival of the nation. It is therefore dangerous for LDP to tread along racial lines and try to create hatred of the Chinese community towards the Chief Minister.

“As Sabah BN Treasurer, as Sabah UMNO Treasurer and as Tuaran UMNO head, I unreservedly defend my leader and my Chief Minister – Datuk Musa Aman,” Hajiji concluded, saying that he was not defending blindly but more so because Musa has proven to be a good and effective leader, having brought economic progress to Sabah and the State Reserves to a healthy level.

He also noted that Musa led Sabah BN to election victory in 2008, making almost a cleansweep of both parliamentary and state seats.

All the best to Sabah!!!