SANDAKAN: Working with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) again is off the table for Perikatan Nasional, after GRS's 'betrayal', says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The Perikatan chairman said GRS had denied the coalition its rightful place in the state government and taken over seats that were originally won under the Perikatan and Bersatu banner.
He revealed that he had even coined the name “GRS” when the coalition was first formed, believing at the time that it would be registered as a non-governmental organisation, not a political party.
“But after a while, when the government was formed, Hajiji (Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor) took the step to register it. I thought it would be an NGO, but it turned out to be a political party and they left us.
“We lost many parliamentary and state seats that we had already won. That is a betrayal,” he said.
Muhyiddin said the prospect of working together again was extremely unlikely.
“As I’ve said just now, it’s very difficult. Because it is a party that has denied us the government. Would you work with them if you were in my position?”
Muhyiddin was speaking to reporters after attending the Perikatan roadshow in Batu Sapi, here, on Friday (July 11), which drew over 1,000 people.
On Dec 10, 2022, 11 Sabah assemblymen, including Chief Minister Hajiji (Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor) and four MPs, officially left Bersatu to become direct members of GRS. The mass exodus prompted GRS to formally expel Bersatu from the coalition a week later, marking a major political realignment in the state.
Following this, the representatives then joined Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, which Hajiji has officially led as party president since February 2023, further cementing his leadership and political direction.
Muhyiddin hinted that Perikatan would recontest its former seats, saying Bersatu still had grassroots support in those areas.
“Those seats rightfully belonged to Bersatu. But when betrayal happened, they were suddenly labelled as GRS seats,” he said.
“But those candidates won under the Bersatu and Perikatan banner. We believe the support is still there.”
He added that the coalition was currently identifying winnable candidates with strong local acceptance and credibility.
“We’re not blindly insisting on defending them. But if we can take those seats back with qualified candidates who are well-regarded by the people, we will.”
He said the turnout at the Batu Sapi event showed that Bersatu Sabah was “not dead” and remained relevant in the state’s political landscape.
