KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) does not foresee any problems in seat distribution with Sabah Pakatan Harapan if they collaborate in the 17th state election due by Sept 2025, according to GRS secretary general Datuk Masidi Manjun.
He stated that seat distribution between the state and national coalitions must align with the wishes of the eight parties within the GRS coalition.
"We are confident that the issue of seat allocation is not a complicated issue between GRS and Pakatan, but it is more about meeting the wishes of each component party in GRS itself," he told reporters on Saturday (Nov 30) when asked about working with state Pakatan in the coming election.
Masidi, who is also the state Finance Minister, noted that there has been no discussion with Sabah Pakatan yet, though both coalitions maintain a close working relationship based on mutual understanding and cooperation.
He mentioned that any political cooperation to face PRN17 would only be discussed after the Sabah State Legislative Assembly is dissolved.
"The Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, has stated earlier that we will discuss this when the election is fixed or after the state assembly is dissolved.
"There is no need to speed it up as we already have quite a close understanding and cooperation between Pakatan and GRS," he said, referring to the current coalition in the state government between the two coalitions.
Regarding the distribution of seats within the eight-party GRS, Masidi said GRS has not yet begun discussions on the matter.
"We have not reached that stage and in fact, I have been appointed to form a committee that functions as a consultation among the leaders of the GRS component parties to roughly see which seats might be suitable for each party," he added.
GRS holds a total of 42 seats (including a direct member) in the 79-member Sabah assembly, with Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) led by Hajiji holding the largest share with 26 seats.
Other partners include Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) with seven seats, Sabah STAR with six seats, and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah with one seat each.
The four-party Sabah Pakatan currently holds seven seats, with Sabah DAP holding four seats, Sabah PKR two seats, and one by Upko.
