KOTA KINABALU, Oct. 9 -- As caretaker Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor seeks a renewed mandate under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) banner, the five-year-old development plan touted as his administration's blueprint for transformation will come under close scrutiny from voters assessing promises against performance.

Unveiled in 2021, the SMJ Development Plan - structured around agriculture, industry and tourism, human capital and people's welfare, and infrastructure and sustainability - has been the government's central narrative of progress.

Pro-government officials credit it with steering Sabah through post-pandemic recovery, boosting investment and restoring economic confidence.

But his administration is not without many challenges ...