KOTA KINABALU: It will be a heart-to-heart talk between leaders of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) parties when they meet to discuss the distribution of the 73 state seats for the next state polls.
GRS secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the basis of discussions would be on the respective parties defending their current seats.
“Our fundamental position is to defend what we hold now. The rest is open for discussion,” he said when contacted.
Masidi, the Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) deputy president, said there was however no hurry to hold the meeting as the state election was only due before September next year.
He said the ultimate goal was for the eight-party GRS to win its seats, adding that it did not matter which component party the candidate was from.
Masidi said GRS component parties should not be unduly worried about Gagasan Rakyat’s move to strengthen its position.
“We want to strengthen Gagasan Rakyat so that we can help other candidates in the government win. We have no intention of stealing members or snatching seats from our friends in GRS,” he added.
Besides Gagasan Rakyat which has 26 seats, GRS also comprises Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) which holds seven seats, Sabah STAR with six, and one each from Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan Rakyat).
Its three other members – Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Parti Usno and Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) – do not hold any seat.
GRS also has a direct member assemblyman, giving it a total of 42 assemblymen.
GRS is in coalition with Sabah Pakatan which has seven assemblymen, with several Barisan Nasional assemblymen continuing to back the coalition.
Meanwhile, Gagasan Rakyat vice-president Datuk Masiung Banah said the issue of seat distribution among GRS members should be held in private in a family spirit.
“We are a big family, such matters should be discussed among the GRS top leaders and not publicly,” he said after opening the Gagasan Rakyat Tanjung Kapor division annual meeting yesterday.
Masiung was referring to recent statements by three GRS party leaders calling for the coalition to contest all 73 seats.
He said the issue of seat distribution had further fuelled the polemic over the possibility of GRS and Sabah Pakatan Harapan forging a political pact for the state election.
He urged leaders from GRS and Sabah Pakatan not to make public statements regarding the distribution of seats, adding that this could affect harmony within the coalition.
