KOTA KINABALU: If the chants of PBS and Star supporters proclaiming ‘GRS solo’ (competing alone) during their joint convention on Saturday are any indication, there is a possibility that GRS will contest independently in the 17th state election (PRN17).
However, many political observers believe that GRS’s path to forming a state government again will not be easy following a lackluster performance over the past five years.
Social activist and political analyst Dr. Kanul Gindol stated that this is because GRS will face fierce competition from Warisan, KDM, BN, PH, and possibly PN as well.
PBS and Star are also vulnerable to situations of mutual disappointment and sabotage, rather than genuine cooperation, he noted.
According to Kanul, the PGRS led by Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is also significantly impacted by the exposure of corruption cases involving several assembly members, the speaker, and the prolonged hundreds of millions case related to the Sabah Water Department, which has eroded public confidence in GRS’s integrity.
“Even if GRS competes solo, it is merely a gimmick to avoid being labeled as used by Malaya, as the acting president of PBS himself admitted yesterday that PBS is willing to accept candidates from PH (Malaya except Upko) as long as they use the GRS symbol. Many believe this is just a ‘ploy’.
“Observers argue that there is actually ‘no honesty and wisdom’ left here.
“Is honesty present when GRS is still forming a government not just with PKR and DAP but also with PAS having appointed assembly members and 5 Umno assembly members?
“In reality, GRS will face not only parties from Malaya and local parties like Warisan and KDM but also the general public who are dissatisfied with GRS’s performance,” he said.
Kanul mentioned that GRS’s confidence, especially from Star and PBS going solo, might be ‘cut short’ if PGRS is not ready to allocate more DUN seats to Star and PBS.
“There are 8 component parties in GRS. How many seats are Star and PBS willing to accept?
“The gamble of Star and PBS leaving GRS could bring more danger to themselves because no one will trust where Star and PBS will take their seats even if they win a few.
“Who would give free seats to Star and PBS? Many Chinese voters have already shifted to Warisan. Similarly, do Bumiputera Muslim voters feel more comfortable with Warisan?” Kanul said.
Kanul believes that the declining performance of leaders who hold power for too long should be taken as a lesson.
“Several party presidents have lost in elections. The public’s disappointment over poor performance, combined with the growing trend of assembly members favoring only their own supporters, has one solution: to ‘remove’ or ‘replace’ them,” he said.
According to Kanul, many observers also think that the strategy of GRS, or more specifically Star and PBS, claiming to be victims of the Malayan parties will fail because they only have their own supporters, especially those who feel this way, while some of them just want to keep their positions in the government.
“Look at the performance over the past five years… the people are still struggling with basic needs, including issues with water, electricity, and roads. All these factors will be assessed, and the power of the people or voters will be decisive in the upcoming state elections,” he said.
