KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin has agreed to the appointment of State Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Datuk Hajiji Noor as new Sabah Chief Minister.
“I would like to congratulate Datuk Hajiji and I have agreed to him being sworn in as the new chief minister tomorrow,” he said here on Monday.
He said this while handing over the invitation letter to attend the 16th Sabah Chief Minister swearing-in ceremony to Hajiji at the Istana Negeri here today.
Just after receiving the invitation, Hajiji attended the rehearsal for the swearing-in ceremony to be held at the Dewan Istiadat Istana Negeri at 10am on Tuesday.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) today unanimously named Hajiji, who is Sulaman assemblyman, as new Sabah Chief Minister.
GRS secured clear majority to take the reins of the state government from Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) in the 16th Sabah state election when it obtained 38 out of 73 seats in the assembly.
Met by members of the official media after receiving his invitation letter, Hajiji said he will carry out his duties with full responsibility to fulfil the mandate given by the people of Sabah.
“I thank Tuan Yang Terutama Tun (Juhar) for the invitation to accept the appointment as the Sabah Chief Minister … I have been informed that (the swearing-in) for the chief minister and deputies will take place first,” he said.
Earlier in the day, today, Hajiji was called to meet Juhar.
Hajiji, who was dressed in a blazer, songkok (Malay traditional head gear) and white shirt, arrived at Istana Negeri at 3.55pm in a dark vehicle.
“I was called,” he told reporters when asked why is he going into the Istana here today.
