PETALING JAYA: A cohesive Gabungan Rakyat Sabah will give the coalition political leverage with the federal government, GRS chairman Hajiji Noor reminded his coalition partners today.
Hajiji said such leverage risked being undermined by political egos or power struggles for positions, Bernama reported.
“There is no point in praising the unity of others if we are still bickering within the GRS fold itself; for the true strength of Sabah begins with our own unity,” he was quoted as saying while speaking at the GRS convention in Kudat.
He said GRS component parties must place the interests of Sabah and the coalition over personal or individual party interests to strengthen the state’s bargaining power at Putrajaya, he said.
Hajiji, who is also the Sabah chief minister, said no component party is so dominant that it no longer needs partners, and that “no party is so small that its contributions can be dismissed”.
He noted that the decision by certain parties to leave the coalition and go it alone should serve as a lesson to strengthen the foundational principles upon which GRS was established in 2020: Sabah's stability.
Hajiji said merely being a local-based party was not enough to win the confidence of voters if the government failed to solve the people’s daily challenges or provide economic opportunities.
“The people want a stable government, one that does more than just talk well, it must be capable of solving problems. We might win the battle of speeches on stage, yet still fail to win the hearts of the people.”
GRS currently comprises six components, namely, Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah; Parti Bersatu Sabah; the Liberal Democratic Party; Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah; Parti Cinta Sabah and Upko.
Last year, Usno quit GRS citing incompatibility with the state government's policies and style of administration. In 2025, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) and the Sabah Progressive Party left the coalition because they disagreed with the electoral pact with Pakatan Harapan.