KOTA KINABALU: Leaders quitting Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has only strengthened the coalition's resolve, not weakened it, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
The Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah president said some leaders chose to go their own way or leave the coalition when the positions they wanted did not materialise.
"We respect their decisions, we are not angry and we hold no grudges. But the people can judge for themselves who is truly fighting for Sabah," he said at the special Gagasan Rakyat General assembly at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Sunday (May 17).
Sabah STAR led by Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) led by Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee both left the coalition prior to the 2025 Sabah polls. Usno led by Tan Sri Pandikar Amin took withdrew from GRS in early 2026.
Hajiji, who is GRS chairman, said this was a test of GRS' unity but it had also reinforced its determination to remain stable.
"The true struggle is when personal interests must be set aside for the sake of collective strength… Strength cannot emerge from divided political egos," he said.
Hajiji reminded leaders not to be distracted by rhetoric about who is "the most local", saying Sabahans want jobs, opportunities and a stable government, not slogans.
"The people do not live on rhetoric. They want a growing economy, opportunities for their children and a capable government," he said.
He added that party decisions must be guided by long-term considerations.
"Positions may change, structures may change but the struggle for Sabah must not," Hajiji said.
He also reminded delegates that GRS did not inherit an easy situation when it took office in 2020, with Sabah's economy hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, politics unstable and development issues long delayed.
"But in those challenging circumstances, we chose to work instead of making excuses. We reorganised the government's priorities, strengthened governance and focused on political stability, economic recovery and the foundations of long-term development," he said.
Hajiji said Sabahans at the time no longer wanted to depend on the "political manoeuvres of others" to determine the state's future.
He said Sabah needed a local force capable of speaking with its own voice, making its own decisions and defending Sabahans' interests with greater courage and dignity.
"That is why GRS was formed and from that struggle emerged Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah as the main pillar to ensure Sabah's political house remains strong, stable and led by a struggle centred on the people of this state," he said, referring to the December 2022 move in which he and a majority of Sabah Bersatu leaders left to form the local-based Gagasan Rakyat in 2023.
"Today, I speak not only as Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah president, but also as GRS chairman and Sabah Chief Minister.
"This responsibility is immense. Party decisions cannot be guided by narrow thinking or short-term considerations.
"If the need arises, we must reorganise our strength so the great house we have built remains strong, stable and capable of being inherited by future generations," he said.
