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SABAH Umno says they don't want to stand in the wings with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) now officially announcing their pact with Pakatan Harapan (PH).
The state information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir warned that Barisan Nasional (BN) is not a fallback or accessory to anyone’s game plan as it heads into the 17th state election.
“BN Sabah is not a sidekick. We are not here to fill in gaps or patch holes.
“We come with a track record, a functioning machinery, and the readiness to lead,” he said in a statement on Sunday night.
His comments follow GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s confirmation that his eight-party coalition would contest alongside PH, a move that cements the alignment between the two blocs.
Before GRS made its move, however, it was PH and BN who had already sealed a formal pact in Sabah.
That agreement was struck on May 9 following a meeting in Kuala Lumpur between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The two national leaders agreed that both coalitions would cooperate in the upcoming state election, mirroring the unity government arrangement in Putrajaya.
Sabah-level discussions on seat allocation were to be led jointly by BN and PH state leaders, with final decisions left to the national leadership.
Suhaimi pushed back against any notion that BN’s partnership with PH was reactive or opportunistic.
“This is not about a political lifeline for anyone. “Politics is not about who pats each other on the back today, but about who truly has the capacity to lead Sabah forward,” he said.
He said the BN-PH cooperation was grounded in a long-term strategy to ensure a stable, inclusive government, not one of “dependent on temporary arrangements or political manoeuvring.”
While PH appears to enjoy the confidence of both BN and GRS at the federal level, that unity has yet to translate clearly in Sabah, particularly given the lingering distrust between Sabah Umno and Hajiji’s camp.
The rift between Sabah Umno and GRS can be traced back to early 2023, when UMNO, then led by Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, pulled its support for Hajiji as chief minister.
The move failed after Hajiji retained control with backing from Sabah PH and defecting Umno assemblymen.
Since then, Sabah Umno has cast GRS as an alliance built on political convenience and party-hopping and not of principle.
Suhaimi did not refer to GRS by name in his latest statement, but the target was clear.
With the Sabah legislative assembly set to dissolve automatically by November 11, the political map is still shifting.
GRS and PH have publicly sealed their alliance.
BN and PH, despite having a pact of their own, are facing growing friction over space, leadership, and direction. – July 28, 2025
