Dr Jeffrey (left) and Dr Joachim during the press conference.
PENAMPANG (July 12): Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Parti Solidariti Tanahairku (Sabah STAR) members made their voices heard loud and clear during the unity convention here today — rallying behind the call for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to contest solo in the upcoming 17th State Election.
The enthusiastic response of “solo” to the shout of “GRS” echoed throughout the venue, reflecting a strong grassroots sentiment for the coalition to chart its own path in the coming polls.
Commenting on this, GRS Chairman and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor said the sentiment is a positive indication of unity and high morale within the coalition.
“This is a good sign for unity in GRS, and it also shows the coalition’s strong spirit in facing the coming election. The sentiment for GRS to contest solo is quite strong, and we will discuss this during the GRS Supreme Council meeting,” he said when closing the convention here today.
When asked whether the current state legislative assembly would go the full term, Hajiji laughed and replied, “Don’t ask that — I will think about it later.”
He emphasised that while the Chief Minister has the prerogative to advise the Head of State on the dissolution of the assembly, all major decisions within GRS are made collectively.
“Any decision must go through the Supreme Council. If I want to dissolve (the assembly), I will negotiate and inform all my colleagues — the presidents of the component parties. There must be a consensus,” he stressed.
Hajiji’s remarks come amid growing calls from within GRS for a clear and independent direction as the coalition heads toward the next state election.
Earlier, Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan rallied the 5,000-strong crowd at the Unity Convention to support the call for GRS to contest solo.
His rallying cry of “GRS” was met with a resounding “solo” from members of PBS and Sabah STAR present at the event.
Speaking to reporters later, Dr Jeffrey reiterated that Sabah STAR would prefer for GRS to enter the state election independently.
“Yes, because the initial announcement received strong support. However, this can be reconsidered if other parties agree to use the GRS logo,” he said.
Acting PBS President Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Joachim Gunsalam concurred, but emphasized that GRS must remain the dominant force if it were to collaborate with any coalition or party.
Dr Jeffrey added that GRS should be allocated the majority of seats and proposed that any non-GRS entity contest no more than 15 seats.
“If they lose — especially without using our symbol — GRS still retains the majority,” he pointed out.
On seat allocations, Dr Joachim revealed that PBS has submitted its “wish list” to the GRS leadership, targeting more than 12 seats.
“But this is not the time to be overly selective. The most important thing is for GRS to win,” he stressed.
Dr Jeffrey acknowledged that every party aspires to contest more seats, but the matter remains subject to negotiation and final agreement. Sabah STAR, he said, is eyeing no more than 15 seats.
On the possibility of both PBS and Sabah STAR contesting the same seats, Dr Joachim admitted a few overlaps but said discussions were ongoing to resolve the matter internally and with other GRS component parties.
“There’s no point in contesting seats held by fellow components. Doing so only causes division and opens the door for the opposition. We must focus on choosing the best candidate for both parties and for GRS,” he said.
