GRS leaders are betraying Sabahans by posing as a local party while working with national coalitions, says Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.
“These leaders were once Umno members, joined Bersatu to win in 2020, then left us,” he said during a Perikatan Nasional Tour in Kota Kinabalu.
Hamzah accused them of enriching themselves while ordinary Sabahans endured water shortages, power cuts, and crumbling infrastructure.
“They claim to be local but work with Pakatan Harapan. They front as local heroes while secretly colluding with national parties,” he said.
Hamzah claimed Bersatu was pivotal in making Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor the chief minister.
“I strategised and formed the Sabah government. Now they want to forget us. Enough is enough – we will rise and challenge them,” he said.
He alleged corruption among GRS leaders, pointing to viral videos of mining license-related political funds as evidence.
Hajiji’s group, after leaving Umno in 2018, joined Bersatu, contested the 2020 Sabah polls under Perikatan Nasional, and later defected to form Gagasan Rakyat.
GRS now brands itself as a local coalition but has faced corruption scandals exposed by whistleblowers, Hamzah said.
“The people suffer while some get rich. These leaders make promises but fail to deliver. Sabah deserves better,” he added.
Sabah Bersatu chief Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee dismissed claims that the party is irrelevant after defections.
“They said we only had one MP left, but 23 division leaders are with us. We’ve rebuilt Bersatu and PN,” he said, vowing to continue reaching out to the grassroots. - January 16, 2025.
