GRS to stick with unity government partners in next Sabah polls

KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is sticking with its unity government partners in the next state election as its chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor poured cold water on a proposal that national parties sit out of the polls.

“I would like to state that in the coming (state) election, we are with the unity government including Pakatan Harapan in Sabah,” the Chief Minister told reporters after an Education Department event here on Thursday (Aug 17).

“We cannot be separated from our partners Pakatan and others including Barisan Nasional. This is because we want to develop Sabah and its people. There is no need for too much politicking and disturbance,” he added.

Hajiji was responding to questions over the proposal by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee that only local parties should contest the next state election due in September 2025.

Yong, who is also the GRS deputy chairman, had also proposed GRS contest all the 73 state seats.

Hajiji said, however, this was only Yong’s personal view, adding GRS had not even touched on the matter as the state polls were still a long way off.

He said what the government was focused on now was to resolve the people’s issues such as the water and electricity supplies woes.

“But I wish to stress that the state government is spearheaded by GRS together with Pakatan.

“We are very thankful to Pakatan,” he said.

In January this year, an attempt to topple the GRS government by Sabah Barisan and Parti Warisan failed after seven Sabah Pakatan assemblymen and several state Umno dissidents pledged support for Hajiji, allowing him to remain as the CM.

Yong’s comments, which were made during a SAPP function last Sunday (Aug 13), drew strong criticism from local leaders from Barisan, Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan who pointed out that no party could stop other political outfits from contesting in any state election, including in Sabah.

Sabah Perikatan chairman Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee had said the coalition wanted an explanation from Yong while Sabah Barisan chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin described the proposal as “absurd”.

Sabah DAP secretary Phoong Jin Zhe contended that Yong was trying to destabilise both the Federal and state governments by sowing discord among GRS and Pakatan.

Meanwhile, Hajiji parried questions by reporters on SAPP’s political alliance which was in question as the party sat in the GRS government that supported the Federal unity government but at the same time was also a component of Opposition Perikatan at the federal level.

“Don’t ask me about that now, later we can discuss (about it),” he said.

Bung Moktar had said that SAPP was sitting on the fence and trying to enjoy both worlds by being in the government in the state while also wanting to show that it is with the opposition at the national level.