KOTA KINABALU: A move to topple the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor (pic) seems to have fizzled out. It is learned that the numbers needed for a simple majority – 40 out of the 79 seats in the state assembly – remains elusive.
Speculation has been rife over the past 48 hours that Sabah Barisan Nasional was pulling its support out of the GRS state government with the intention of forming a coalition government with Parti Warisan.
It is understood that although the 19 Warisan assemblymen remained with the plan, the 17 Sabah Barisan representatives were not in agreement with the move to pull their support away from Hajiji’s government.
Furthermore, Sabah Pakatan Harapan has also distanced itself from supporting a possible Warisan-Barisan coalition, with its state chairman Datuk Christina Liew saying that their stance to stand with the unity Federal Government and support the state government under Hajiji has not changed.
She said none of its seven assemblymen had signed statutory declaration in support of any party.
GRS assemblymen had gathered at the Sabah International Convention Centre since 6pm yesterday to back Hajiji amid news that Warisan had called for a press conference at the Pacific Sutera Hotel at 4.30pm.
All Warisan assemblymen were present, except for its president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal who was speculated to hold a joint press conference with Sabah Barisan’s Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
But by 6.35pm, it became clear that Bung Moktar was not turning up while Shafie also did not appear.
At 6.40pm, a Warisan party official apologised to the media, explaining that the press conference had been postponed without giving any reason.
So far, neither Shafie nor Bung Moktar has officially commented on a possible move over both parties forming a coalition government in Sabah.
It is understood that Bung met with senior state Umno leaders at the Sabah Umno headquarters here shortly after arriving from Kuala Lumpur at 3.30pm yesterday.
It is not clear what the discussion was about but a senior party official said they were looking at the national leadership for advice.
Some party sources indicated that Sabah Umno assemblymen were not unanimous over the idea of working with Warisan.
GRS secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun had on Wednesday stressed that Hajiji continued to enjoy majority support from the 79 Sabah assemblymen.
Masidi issued the statement following speculation that certain quarters were claiming to have the support of more than half of the assemblymen to enable another group to form a new state government.
Without naming the group, he said Hajiji had majority backing, including from the seven Sabah Pakatan assemblymen considered part of the state Opposition, to remain as Chief Minister and lead the state.
Masidi said GRS was also prepared to prove the validity of Hajiji’s support to the appropriate authority.
GRS currently has 29 assemblymen in their camp, including 15 direct GRS members (former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia), seven from PBS, Sabah STAR (six) and SAPP (one).
With its 17 assemblymen, Barisan gives the GRS-Barisan state government 46 seats in the state assembly.
It is understood that Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat, which has three seats, as well as PAS and Parti Bangsa Malaysia with one assemblyman each, and an Independent representative were also friendly to the state government, meaning Hajiji currently has the support of 53 assemblymen.
So far, GRS’ partners, PBS and Sabah STAR, have backed Hajiji to remain as Chief Minister.
GRS information chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said any group attempting to overthrow the current government should wait until the next state election because the focus should be to unite and develop the state.
