KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah will remain firmly with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) after Sabah STAR, its key ally within the coalition, quit.
“PBS stays put,” party president Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said when asked about Sabah STAR’s pullout from the coalition with the 17th state election just around the corner.
He declined to elaborate on the decision by Sabah STAR, led by Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), led by Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, to leave the coalition that is now left with six parties.
PBS and Sabah STAR are the two major parties representing ethnic Kadazandusun, Murut and Rungus communities, accounting for 13 of the 25 non-Muslim native seats in the 73 seats that will be contested in the coming election.
The two parties had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in April 2024 to work together to strengthen their positions in the non-Muslim native seats under the GRS umbrella while looking at the possibility of merging.
On the status of the MOU, Dr Gunsalam said his party is looking into the matter.
The agreement is also aimed at ensuring supporters of both parties back candidates chosen for GRS.
But with Sabah STAR leaving, observers expect the two parties to clash in the coming polls.
At the PBS-Sabah STAR convention earlier this year, grassroots of both parties had called on GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor for the local coalition to go solo without partnering Pakatan Harapan in the coming election.
Hajiji, who heads Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, wants to continue its electoral cooperation with Pakatan Harapan, which came to back his GRS government in January 2023 after Barisan Nasional pulled its support.
Political observers believe Kitingan’s move to leave GRS will change the playing field in the non-Muslim native seats where sentiments for local parties remain strong.
Meanwhile, PBS information chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said the two parties’ exit would not derail the coalition’s ongoing struggle to reclaim Sabah’s rights.
He believed that although STAR and SAPP are no longer part of GRS, both parties still share the same ideals and struggles that formed the coalition.
“Political alignments may change, but the shared goal of safeguarding Sabah’s autonomy should continue to unite local parties.
“I hope that both parties continue to support efforts to defend Sabah’s rights and interests even outside the coalition framework,” he said at a meet-the-people session in Kampung Tomis Jaya, Kiulu, about 60km from here.
Both Kitingan and Yong left GRS after the presidential council meeting on Oct 1 when they failed to get an endorsement for GRS to go solo or be allowed to use their own logos against Pakatan candidates.
GRS and Pakatan are still in seat negotiations, with the latter asking for 21 to 23 seats while GRS is sticking to its offer for Pakatan to contest 15 to 18 seats.
