KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is aiming to become a major bloc in Parliament after the 15th General Election (GE15), says Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee.
The GRS deputy chairman said that the five-party coalition, which was still considering applications from several other Sabah-based parties, was hoping to form a stronger and united Sabah front in the Dewan Rakyat.
“GRS is not contesting to become the prime minister (but) is doing so to become a major bloc in Parliament from Sabah,” he said to reporters after launching the SAPP Congress 2022 here on Saturday (Sept 3).
“This is so GRS can be side by side with Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), towards the fulfilment of MA63 (Malaysia Agreement 1963),” he added.
GRS comprises the Sabah chapter of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Sabah STAR, SAPP and the United Sabah National Organisation (Usno).
Yong who is SAPP president said although SAPP was also a component of Perikatan Nasional led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the party’s supreme council had already agreed and decided that SAPP would contest under the GRS banner in GE15.
He said, however, the party would support Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president, as their prime minister candidate.
“SAPP is very clear. We already declared at the Perikatan convention last Saturday that we support Muhyiddin to come back as the prime minister.
“Among all the potential PM candidates, I do not expect other GRS component parties to support anybody else other than Muhyiddin as the PM,” he said.
On a proposal by a member during the congress that Yong contests the Lahad Datu parliamentary seat, he said he had yet to decide whether to run in the coming general polls.
“And if I do contest, where? There was actually another proposal SAPP should contest the Sepanggar parliamentary seat. But I have not decided because this involves discussion with the GRS chairman and the other parties.
“GRS has so many parties. Now five and maybe more to come. So, seat sharing is going to be normal but there have been no formal discussions yet on which party goes where,” he said.
To a question, Yong did not specify which seats SAPP was eyeing but only said the areas the party planned to place its candidates were “tough areas”.
