Azis regrets his children’s scholarship application politicized

KOTA KINABALU (Sept 9): Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) information chief Datuk Azis Jamman regrets that his children’s application for state scholarship had been politicized.

The former Deputy Home Minister said that his children met the minimum requirement of the application to apply for the state scholarship.

He was responding to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor’s statement that he strives to provide fair treatment to all the rakyat in Sabah, regardless of their political background, race or religion.

Speaking at the Gagasan Rakyat Sulaman annual general meeting last Sunday, Hajiji disclosed that he had personally approved a state scholarship application from an opposition leader for their children, out of his concern for the children of Sabah.

“Even (Datuk Mohd) Azis Jaman’s (Warisan information chief) scholarship application for his children was approved by me … what more haven’t we done? I was fair when he and his wife came to meet at the office. Out of my concern, the children must be helped, and we approved the scholarship for them. I never think only for my party members but for everyone.

“There are also other opposition leaders’ children who received benefits, I can’t ignore them. We hold no grudges, and we do not pressure anyone even though we are the government,” he said.

Mohd Azis in his response on Monday said, “it is worth reminding Hajiji that when I and my family approached him, we did not come as political opponents, but we came as a father and mother and as citizens exercising a fundamental right to seek educational support for our children.

“My wife is not a politician, and my children should not be drawn into political point-scoring. If Hajiji’s grandson, the father of his nephew who is also a member of Hajiji’s current cabinet line-up, has the right to apply for scholarships or loans and receive government assistance, why should my children’s applications be politicized simply because of my political affiliation?

“After all, my children’s scholarship application meets the minimum requirement for them to be given approval and if my children do not meet the minimum requirement, even with Hajiji recommendation, I am sure it will be rejected by the Scholarship Department. We all know the process and procedure which is why I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the government servants especially at the Scholarship Department for helping my children’s education,” said the former Sepanggar Member of Parliament.

Azis claimed that he understands the pressures Hajiji is facing in trying to present his leadership as equitable ahead of the next state election but stressed that it is important to remind the latter of a fundamental principle, that the Chief Minister is responsible for all Sabahans, not just the members of his political party.

“I would like to extend my appreciation to the state government and in particular, the staff of the scholarship division, for carrying out their duties following the approval of my children’s scholarship and I do appreciate Hajiji’s willingness to support and minute, “OK, Sila Pertimbangkan” to my children’s application,” he added.

According to Azis, as the Chief Minister, Hajiji must recognize the difference between his role as the President of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) and his responsibilities as the leader of the state.

“When he was sworn in, he took an oath to serve all Sabahans without regard to race, religion, or political affiliation. Recommending a scholarship for a student whose parent is affiliated with the opposition does not equate to good governance. The job of a leader is to ensure fair and equal treatment for all, especially when it concerns access to education — a basic right for every Sabahan child,” he stressed.

Azis also said that during Warisan President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s tenure as Chief Minister, he never inquired into the political affiliations of those seeking scholarships, land titles or even projects.

He said that many Sabahans were given scholarships during Shafie’s tenure and there were also members of the opposition at that time who came to see Shafie seeking help but he is professional enough to differentiate between politics and his responsibility as Chief Minister.

“Shafie served as a leader for all Sabahans. This is the standard of leadership Sabahans expect from their Chief Minister — color-blind governance that upholds fairness and impartiality.

“It is deeply concerning to see the politicization of children’s education and scholarships. Chief Minister Hajiji must remember that these scholarships are funded by public money — taxes paid by all Sabahans, regardless of political leanings. They are not his personal funds to be used as political leverage,” he said.

Azis suggested that Hajiji look to his counterpart in Sarawak, Tan Sri Abang Johari, and learn from him when he announced that the state government of Sarawak is on track to provide free tertiary education to qualified Sarawak students at its five institutions of higher learning by 2026 regardless of their race, religion, and the parent’s political ideology.