KOTA KINABALU – Sabah does not have plans to change its chief minister’s title at this point, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
“At this point, the title ‘chief minister’ is still good enough,” he said, in response to widespread calls for Sabah to emulate Sarawak in amending the name of the position for the state’s highest office bearer.
The Sarawak administration has declared the use of “premier of Sarawak” effective today.
The titles of deputy chief ministers have also been replaced with ‘deputy premiers’, and the Chief Minister’s Office has had its name replaced with the “Office of the Premier of Sarawak”.
Sarawak’s assembly had passed amendments to the state constitution on February 15 to adopt the new names.
Sabah to consider granting native certificates to ‘sino-natives’
In another development, Hajiji said that he will look into the requests of Sabah’s sino-natives for native certificates.
“I will ask the Native Affairs Department to look into the requests of the sino-native groups.
“It is our hope that a solution can be found for those who truly deserve native privileges,” he said, when met by reporters at the launch of the i-Suri (Baiduri) initiative at Menara Kinabalu here today.
“Sino-natives” refers to those with Chinese-native parentage.
The Sabah government froze the issuance of the native certificates in 1981, supposedly to stop the state from falling into the hands of non-Sabahans.
Nearly RM2.6 million to benefit over 40,000 women in Sabah: Hajiji
On the Baiduri initiative, Hajiji said some RM2.52 million has been allocated for the initiative.
The funds will benefit 42,097 women in Sabah, he said, adding that Baiduri was introduced under the 2022 state budget.
Eligible recipients will get an RM60 one-off payment into their Employees Provident Fund (EPF) accounts.
“In implementing the Baiduri initiative, the state government has given the opportunity for women registered with e-Kasih to receive RM480 from the federal government via their EPF accounts,” he said. – The Vibes, March 1, 2022
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