GRS and Barisan close to a deal on seat allocation

KOTA KINABALU: The two partners in Sabah’s ruling government – Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Barisan Nasional – are likely to split the 25 parliamentary seats in the state equally between themselves.

GRS, which has five parties, is expected to take 13 seats for the 15th General Election, while the four-party Sabah Barisan coalition will contest in the remaining 12.

However, a couple of key seats could become sore points.

The Beluran seat held by GRS’ Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee is also wanted by Barisan.

Sources said Barisan could take Beaufort from GRS as its incumbent Datuk Seri Azizah Mohd Dun, the Sabah Bersatu wanita chief, had signalled that she wanted to retire.

Kiandee and Azizah won under a Barisan ticket in the May 2018 general election, but left the coalition in a mass exodus to join Bersatu when it spread its wings to Sabah in March 2019.

Some sources indicated that Beluran might now see a “free- for-all” contest if a deal was not reached.

Sabah Barisan is also keen to take the mixed Muslim and non-Muslim native seats in the north-east of the state. Leaders from both sides have not officially commented on the matter, but sources have indicated that Chief Minister and GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has reached a consensus with Sabah Barisan chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who is also deputy chief minister.

The general agreement includes GRS getting seven Muslim native and mixed native seats, with the bulk of the non-Muslim native and Chinese seats being shared by its component parties – Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Sabah STAR, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and United Sabah National Organisation (Usno).

However, a source said it was difficult for the GRS and Barisan leadership to please all nine component parties in sharing the 25 seats.

Parties like PBS, which once governed the state, and Sabah STAR believe they should be given a bigger stake.

Barisan, through Umno, will focus on the Muslim bumiputra seats, including swapping some of its traditional seats won by GRS-Bersatu in GE14.

According to a source, Barisan is eyeing the Putatan, Sepanggar and Kota Belud seats in the west coast; Kimanis and Beaufort seats in south-western Sabah; Kinabatangan, Kalabakan, Libaran, Beluran and Lahad Datu in the east coast; and Tenom and Pensiangan in the interior.

It is believed Barisan component Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) will retain the Pensiangan seat it won through its deputy president Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup in GE14. (The other parties in Sabah Barisan are MCA and MIC, neither of which will be given seats.)

It is unclear whether PBRS will be contented with just getting one seat. Kurup had reportedly asked for up to six seats to contest.

Besides Pensiangan, the party had wanted to contest in Tawau, Keningau, Ranau, Tenom and Kota Marudu.

Meanwhile, sources say Bersatu will contest in Ranau, Batu Sapi, Tuaran, Papar, Kudat, Sipitang and Semporna.

Other seats to be contested by GRS are Kota Marudu, Tawau, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Keningau and Penampang, all of which are likely to be shared among PBS, STAR and SAPP.

Usno is not likely to get a seat.

It is not known if PBS, Sabah STAR and SAPP would be happy with having to share six seats.

SAPP had wanted the Kota Kinabalu, Sepanggar, Papar, Lahad Datu and Tawau seats, in addition to Sandakan, while PBS and Sabah STAR had wanted most of the ethnic Kadazandusun, Murut and Rungus, as well as Chinese, majority seats.

It is believed Semporna, now held by Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, is among the seats allocated for Umno, while GRS will only contest the by-election for the Bugaya state seat.