SABAH STAR has floated two possible directions for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) as it prepares for the looming state election - contest all seats under its own banner or form a broader electoral pact with allies - a move he’s calling “GRS Plus.”
Its president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan laid out what he described as the coalition’s current options.
“Option one is all the seats to be contested by GRS. Option two is GRS Plus - that means we allocate those seats to our allies,” he told reporters after launching the party’s Luyang office in Kota Kinabalu.
Both options, he added, are still under discussion with other components of the eight-member state political coalition.
Suggestions for seat distribution have already been submitted by various parties but haven’t been tabled yet and is expected to happen after Hari Raya, said Kitingan.
Asked whether STAR plans to contest Luyang, the deputy chief minister left the door open.
“We are open to all areas, including Luyang. Based on the potential to win, we will decide,” he said.
While the GRS Plus route could broaden the coalition’s appeal, Kitingan made it clear where Sabah STAR stands: GRS should lead the charge - whether alone or with partners.
“Because it’s not signed yet, we want GRS to be dominant,” he said.
Kitingan’s comment signals a preference for local dominance in seat negotiations, amid growing conversations around national party influence and electoral partnerships in Sabah.
Kitingan also touched on shifting voter sentiment among the Chinese community, especially in urban constituencies like Luyang.
“I feel more confident now, more than before, that the Chinese community now prefers local parties - so that we can be more solid, like Sarawak,” he said.
“And we can work together to achieve our aspirations, to get back our rights, our special privileges, to protect our rights and our future.”
Talks of forming state coalitions and national coalitions heightened in Sabah ahead of the election with influence of federal-level leaders that the state should emulate the Madani government formula.
If that happens the electoral pact will see at least 16 parties in a grand coalition vying for 73 seats in the state election due this year.
The number however will be much lower due to the winnable candidate formula as some parties, particularly the national based parties barely have ground support.
GRS is currently made up of eight parties: GAGASAN, PBS, SAPP, STAR, USNO, PHRS, LDP, and PCS.
PH consists of four parties: PKR, DAP, Amanah, and UPKO.
BN currently comprises UMNO, MCA, MIC, and PBRS. - March 21, 2025
