United coalition: Sabah Chief Minister and GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor (centre) standing with leaders of the GRS component parties during the Aug 28 launch of the Keningau Parliament GRS Tour Programme at Dewan Masyarakat Keningau. — Bernama
KOTA KINABALU: The Registrar of Societies (ROS) has given the go-ahead for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to use the silhouette of Mount Kinabalu as its symbol for the coming general election.
The symbol has been approved to be officially used by the Election Commission for elections with effect from Sept 2.
GRS secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said he expects the five parties in the coalition to use the symbol during the election.
“Should be,” he said when asked if all GRS component parties would be using the symbol.
GRS, made up of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Sabah STAR, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Usno, leads the GRS-Barisan Nasional state coalition government.
Sabah Bersatu, Sabah STAR and SAPP are also members of the Perikatan Nasional coalition at the federal level.
GRS was a loose coalition of nine parties including Barisan that was formed during the September 2020 snap state election that toppled the two-year-old Warisan Plus government under Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal. The coalition was officially registered with the ROS in March this year, but Sabah Barisan – led by Umno – decided not to be part of the pact, saying that Barisan was a grouping on its own.
GRS officials expect their components to use their symbol in the coming general election, though not all parties, except Sabah STAR, has confirmed using the coalition symbol.
Four more parties – Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) led by Datuk Peter Anthony, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan Rakyat) led by Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah, Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) led by Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Datuk Chin Su Phin – have applied to join GRS. Their applications remain on the table with the GRS supreme council yet to make a decision.
KDM, a breakaway from Parti Warisan, has two incumbent assemblymen while a third Warisan assemblyman left to join Harapan Rakyat. GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and Sabah Barisan chief Datuk Bung Moktar Radin are expected to discuss possible seat-sharing for the coming general election amid overlapping demands from Bersatu and Umno.
