Sabah STAR, Usno say GRS should go it alone in next state polls

KOTA KINABALU: Some leaders in the seven-party Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) say the coalition to go it alone in the next state election.

Two GRS deputy presidents – Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (Sabah STAR) and Tan Sri Pandikar Amin (Usno) – said they would prefer to see the state’s ruling coalition contest all 73 state seats in the elections, which is due by September 2025.

Kitingan, who is Deputy Chief Minister, said that GRS should contest all 73 state seats to ensure that the ruling coalition continues to govern the state.

He said this while officiating the launch of the Zone 2 GRS Wanita roadshow here on Sunday (Dec 10).

Pandikar, the Usno president, also said that it was time for the local coalition to contest all seats.

He said it was in line with GRS’ tagline ‘Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga,’ (we take care of our own backyard).

“Sabah is our state, we need to look after it and we need to be in power in Sabah.

“To achieve that, GRS, a local party, must contest all 73 state seats,” Pandikar said.

GRS, which is led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor had more than two-thirds majority in the Sabah assembly and is currently working with Sabah Pakatan Harapan and renegade Sabah Umno assemblymen following the failed Jan 5 coup.

Sabah Barisan, led by Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Bung Moktar, withdrew his party’s support for Hajiji who managed to retain power with the support of Sabah Pakatan and defecting Barisan assemblymen.

Other parties in GRS are Hajiji’s Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat), Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) led by Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) led by Datuk Yong Teck Lee, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah led by Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Datuk Chin Su Phin.

Yong had also said previously that GRS should go on its own in the next election.

During various political events involving Gagasan Rakyat or GRS earlier this, Hajiji has indicated that he was keen to see the Unity Government formula in facing the next election.

He indicated that cooperation between GRS parties and Sabah Pakatan can lead to success for the coalition in the next state election.