GRS-PH alliance firm for Sabah polls, 'flip-flop' claims dismissed
KOTA KINABALU (July 28): Allegations that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is inconsistent and 'one moment wants to go solo, and the next moment doesn't' in its approach to the upcoming 17th State
Election have been described as baseless and misleading to the public.
Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Lamag Division deputy chief Johainizamshah Johari stressed that from the beginning, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor who is also the president of Gagasan Rakyat, has maintained a clear and consistent position to collaborate with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in facing the upcoming state election.
'The issue and claims that the Chief Minister is flip-flopping on his stance are inaccurate. What happened was merely a temporary reaction to the official announcement of cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and PH on May 8 and 9 at the federal level, which was made without specific details involving Sabah.
'At that time, Hajiji merely expressed the possibility that GRS could contest independently if the state's political situation required it. It did not mean rejecting cooperation with PH; rather, it demonstrated openness in making decisions based on Sabah's interests,' he said in a statement on Monday.
According to Johainizamshah, the situation became clearer after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's working visit to Tawau on May 11, when the Prime Minister openly expressed his desire for GRS, PH and BN in Sabah to cooperate in the run-up to the state election.
'More importantly, the Prime Minister personally requested Hajiji to lead the coalition's negotiations. This reflects trust and respect for his leadership,' he said.
He added that this was further affirmed by Hajiji himself during the 2025 Gagasan Rakyat Annual General Assembly last Sunday, where he clearly stated that Gagasan Rakyat/GRS would work together with PH in the upcoming state election.
'There has not been a single official statement from Hajiji rejecting cooperation with PH. Therefore, the issue of inconsistency or confusion, as claimed by certain quarters — particularly the opposition — is unfounded,' he said.
Johainizamshah stressed that the most important thing now is to maintain political stability to ensure continued development in Sabah and that the people benefit from progress.
'We do not want Sabah to become like other resource-rich regions abroad that have failed to uplift their people, such as the Niger Delta in Nigeria, Katanga in Congo, and Chhattisgarh in India — all rich in resources, but their people live in poverty.
'Therefore, we must unite, support the current leadership, and avoid political games that could jeopardise efforts to develop our state,' he said.
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