GABUNGAN Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has denied going it alone in formalising the pact with Pakatan Harapan (PH) without first seeking consensus from fellow party leaders in the state coalition.
“No, no, no. We have discussed. In GRS, all are party presidents,” he said, referring to the coalition’s structure.
Hajiji made the remarks when asked by reporters whether the electoral pact was a one-sided decision.
Previously, he noted that a decision whether to form a pact with other coalitions such as Pakatan Harapan would be decided by the GRS supreme council.
The meeting has not been organised.
Pressed on when the GRS Presidential Council would convene to discuss the matter, he replied: “I’ll call it later. How can I tell you now? The date is not yet set.”
His comments follow his confirmation last Sunday, during Parti Gagasan Rakyat’s annual general meeting, that GRS would contest the upcoming state election in partnership with PH.
The announcement was believed to have been made without prior consultation with leaders of the other seven GRS component parties: SAPP, Sabah STAR, Parti Cinta Sabah, the Liberal Democratic Party, USNO, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, and Parti Bersatu Sabah.
Several GRS leaders have either publicly or privately indicated that the issue was never formally discussed or tabled at the GRS Supreme Council level.
Hajiji also brushed aside criticisms that he had acted unilaterally.
“Don’t listen too much. In Sabah, there’s too much politics, too many, too clever,” he said, implying that critics were reading too much into internal coalition matters.
Gagasan Rakyat, Hajiji’s party, held a three-day general assembly over the weekend, where observers expected the PH partnership to be raised, even if not formally addressed.
Some political analysts believe Hajiji is under pressure to formalise ties with PH not only to ensure electoral stability, but also to strengthen his political position amid ongoing challenges, including a mining-linked corruption scandal that has weakened GRS’s standing. – The Vibes, July 28, 2025
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