KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has to form an electoral pact with national parties in the coming state elections, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
The GRS chairman said that Sabah still needs a working relationship with national parties.
"Sabah cannot emulate Sarawak's political landscape of only local parties going into the elections," said Hajiji when opening the annual meeting of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah's Sindumin division annual meeting in Sipitang on Saturday (Sept 21).
"In politics, we have to work together and we in GRS we must be united. We must work with national parties that are already here in Sabah. Whether we like it or not (suka atau tidak), this is the situation in the state," added Hajiji.
He urged all Gagasan Rakyat members to further strengthen the party and protect the good relations between all GRS component parties and national parties.
"Strengthen the unity between GRS and Pakatan Plus by helping one another to ensure we win in the election," he said.
Apart from Gagasan Rakyat, other component parties are Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) led by Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Sabah STAR led by Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) led by Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee among others.
The others are Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan Rakyat) led by Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah, Usno led by Tan Sri Pandikar Amin, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Datuk Chin Su Phin and Parti Cinta Sabah led by Tan Sri Anifah Aman.
Hajiji forged a coalition with Sabah Pakatan in Jan 2023 after Sabah Barisan Nasional led by Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin pulled out its support.
Renegade assemblymen from Sabah Umno and opposition Parti Warisan then strengthened Hajiji's hold on the state government.
Recently, Bung said that state Barisan was ready to work with Sabah Pakatan in the coming election but remained mum over the possibility of working with GRS.
