UMNO president and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has drawn a firm line to work with Pakatan Harapan, closing the doors on Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) for a three-way alliance.
The declaration was made in a closed-door meeting late last night in Kota Kinabalu.
The move quashed hopes of national coalition leaders from BN, PH and GRS to form an electoral cooperation in the forthcoming Sabah election.
“Umno and BN remain with PH in the existing coalition,” Zahid told reporters, adding that the decision had been endorsed by the Sabah Umno political bureau.
It also marked a quiet retreat from Zahid’s earlier suggestion that BN might be open to cooperation with others so long as it maintained a dominant role. - September 5, 2025