KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is set to be tested in keeping the eight-party Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition intact following his announcement that GRS must work with national parties in the state election.
Political analyst Tony Paridi Bagang said Hajiji’s announcement was a “decisive” shift in political strategy that must be accepted by component parties.
“Hajiji is strongly indicating his stand on working with Pakatan Harapan in the coming state election. It is a shift in political strategy, one that urges the component parties within GRS to adopt a more inclusive and cooperative stance toward Pakatan,” he said in an interview.
Bagang, a lecturer with Sabah Universiti Teknologi Mara, added that Hajiji’s ability to manage internal dissension, strike a balance between conflicting interests and strategically match the coalition’s goals with the expectations of Sabah’s voters would ultimately determine whether or not he could keep GRS together.
On Saturday, Hajiji said GRS had no choice, whether they “like it or not”, to form an electoral pact with national parties in the coming state election.
He said GRS is not yet ready to be like Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s “all local” party formula to contest in the 17th state election on its own.
He added that Sabah still needs a working political relationship with national parties and indicated that he aims to solidify the GRS coalition with Pakatan Plus in an electoral pact for the state election.
The statement by Hajiji, who is president of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, during the opening the Sindumin Gagasan Rakyat division annual general meeting, had taken some component party leaders by surprise.
Sabah STAR led by Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Sabah Progressive Party led by Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee and Parti Usno led by Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia had previously said that GRS should go into the state election on its own.
When contacted, several leaders expressed shock at Hajiji’s announcement, saying that the GRS supreme council had not met to make a decision on GRS teaming up with Pakatan Plus.
The leaders, who declined to speak officially, said that it is important for the GRS supreme council to make the decision.
The other members of GRS are Parti Bersatu Sabah led by Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah led by Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah, Liberal Democratic Party led by Datuk Chin Su Phin and Parti Cinta Sabah led by Tan Sri Anifah Aman.
Hajiji forged a coalition with Sabah Pakatan in January last year after Sabah Barisan Nasional, led by Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, pulled out its support.
Renegade assemblymen from Sabah Umno and opposition Parti Warisan strengthened Hajiji’s hold on the state government.
Recently, Bung Moktar and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that Barisan is ready to work with Pakatan under the national unity government framework in the coming state election.
However, Bung Moktar did not say whether Sabah Barisan would be ready to work with GRS.
