He said Hajiji, who is also the Sabah PPBM liaison chief, is a widely experienced political figure.

“I am confident he is capable of taking Sabah to a better era of development,” he said when contacted here today.

Earlier, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) had agreed to pick Hajiji as the candidate to become the 16th chief minister of Sabah.

The announcement was made by Hajiji himself, who is also Sabah Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman, at a media conference after a closed-door meeting with leaders of GRS.

Hajiji, the incumbent Sulaman state assemblyman since 1990, had successfully defended the seat after winning with a majority of 3,099 votes in the Sabah state election on Saturday.

He is expected to take his oath of office as the chief minister of Sabah at Istana Negeri tomorrow.

Meanwhile, SAPP president Yong Teck Lee regarded Hajiji as the most suitable candidate to head the state government.

“Datuk Hajiji is very experienced in administration. He is accepted by all strata of society and has leadership qualities as a political leader,” he told Bernama.