Sabah Umno open to working with GRS, but only if it's sincere
PETALING JAYA : Sabah Umno is open to working with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in the upcoming state election, but only if the ruling coalition is sincere in its approach to seat negotiations, says its chief Bung Moktar Radin.
Claiming GRS tended to change its stance once an agreement had been reached, Bung said: 'We are still open to working with any local party, but they must be sincere. We don't want insincerity.
'What I mean by insincerity is that we agree on something today, then tomorrow they change their stand or change their decision on seats or put their candidates as independents for seats which we are contesting,' Bung told FMT.
Bung said overlapping seat claims in places such as Pantai Dalit and Tanjong Keramat were making negotiations harder.
'That's why GRS has to be sincere when it negotiates with us,' he said.
'Our doors are still open. It is not too widely open and neither is it tightly shut.'
However, Bung said Umno did not expect major problems with Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) over seat distribution, as the two coalitions typically contested in different areas – PH in urban seats, and Umno in rural constituencies.
He added that Sabah Umno was looking to contest in 35 seats, up from 32 in the last state election.
Bung's latest comments mark a shift from his stance earlier this month, where he reportedly said that Sabah Umno would not work with GRS and would consider cooperation only after the outcome of the polls.
Barisan Nasional and PH earlier announced an alliance for the Sabah polls, which must be held by the end of the year.
However, the alliance prompted GRS to threaten to go solo. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim then stepped in and called for PH-BN to work with the state coalition.
Masiung Banah, Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah vice-president, was reported to have said that GRS was expected to contest at least 53 seats, while PH would go for 20 under their electoral pact.
GRS and PH are currently allies in the Hajiji Noor state government, while BN sits in the opposition in the Sabah legislative assembly.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
15 minutes ago
- Borneo Post
SCCC stresses role of research in boosting Malaysia–China ties
Professor Chen Zhirui (fourth from left) presents a souvenir to Datuk Frankie Liew (center), while Dr Zhong Darong (second from right) presents a souvenir to SCCC Vice President Ir. Ts. Tan KJ, JP (fourth from right). KOTA KINABALU (Aug 17): Research and development in social sciences and international relations will help Malaysia and China play a greater role in policymaking, economic cooperation, as well as educational and cultural exchanges. President of the Sabah-China Chamber of Commerce, Datuk Frankie Liew, emphasized this when he received a courtesy visit from Professor Chen Zhirui of the China Foreign Affairs University and Dr Zhong Darong, director of the Malaysian Studies Center at Huaqiao University, Xiamen, last Saturday. 'We look forward to your academic research serving as valuable reference material to help us formulate more effective strategies in advancing Malaysia–China relations,' said Liew. He added that the visit of such distinguished academics not only affirms the Chamber's work, but also builds an important bridge for academic, economic and trade exchanges between Malaysia and China. During the meeting, Liew gave a brief introduction to Sabah's history and present circumstances. He pointed out that since joining the Federation of Malaysia in 1963 together with Malaya and Sarawak, Sabah has enjoyed certain autonomous rights in immigration, land and resources. Blessed with rich natural resources and cultural diversity, Sabah also shares deep historical ties with China dating back to the 14th century, evidenced by shipwrecks, cliff coffin culture and the Zheng He River. He noted that most Chinese in Sabah trace their roots to Guangdong and Fujian, with the majority being Hakka. Although the Chinese community makes up only about 10% of Sabah's population — roughly 400,000 people — they play a pivotal role in politics, economy, education and culture. 'Sabah's Chinese community has established a comprehensive education system, from kindergarten to secondary schools and even tertiary institutions with Chinese-language education, making Sabah a stepping-stone for international students from China and South Korea,' Liew explained. Because of these contributions in politics, economy, culture and education, the Chinese community in Sabah has long played an important role in fostering Malaysia–China diplomatic and economic ties, he added. Liew stressed that international relations play an indispensable role in today's economy. With in-depth social science research, both countries can better understand each other's cultural differences and common ground, thereby enhancing policymaking, economic cooperation and educational and cultural exchanges. He expressed hope that the scholars' visit to Sabah would inspire further research and become a valuable reference for formulating more effective strategies for Malaysia–China relations. Liew further highlighted that since its establishment, the Sabah-China Chamber of Commerce has been committed to promoting cooperation in economic, trade and business sectors between Sabah and China, by providing trade information, organizing exhibitions, forums, and training, and even setting up liaison offices in China to strengthen ties and collaboration. He also revealed that the Chamber will host the Malaysia (Sabah)–China Expo in November this year, and called on academic and educational leaders to participate or recommend more talents to join in expanding exchanges and cooperation. Professor Chen and Dr Zhong remarked that after personally visiting Sabah, they realized that Sabah is not backward as some may assume, but instead is a place that has preserved its natural environment remarkably well. 'East Malaysia has managed to maintain its pristine environment, and its people of various ethnic groups are warm and friendly, leaving a lasting impression on foreign visitors,' they said. Professor Chen, who earned his doctorate in history from Nanjing University and has conducted research at Mannheim University (Germany), Nottingham University (UK), and Harvard University (USA), is a renowned Chinese scholar in international relations and currently serves as editor of an East Asia studies journal. He pointed out that Malaysia has always been a focal point in East Asia studies, attracting the attention of both academia and policymakers, particularly regarding its ethnic relations and Chinese community. 'Because Malaysia has a significant Chinese population, its relations with China have always been close,' said Professor Chen. He revealed that prior to the pandemic, he had visited Peninsular Malaysia. This summer, under the arrangement of Dr Zhong, he visited Sabah for the first time, and expressed gratitude to Liew for the warm hospitality.
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Zahid urges defence forces to keep it clean, vows tough crackdown on corruption and collusion after recent arrests
PASIR SALAK, Aug 17 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has reminded defence and security forces personnel not to misuse their rank or position to commit unlawful acts. Ahmad Zahid said he supported Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar's stand that there would be no compromise in dealing with abuse of power. 'I agree with his statement that firm action will be taken against collusion involving military officers, not only as informants but also when directly involved,' he told reporters after officiating the Perak Community Development Department (Kemas) Santunan Desa Programme here today. Ahmad Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said abuse of power must be stopped as it could tarnish the image of the country's defence and security forces. 'I hope this serves as a stern reminder to others not to commit similar offences or engage in misconduct with the same intent,' he said. Last Wednesday, Bernama reported that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had crippled a southern smuggling syndicate with the arrest of 10 people, including three serving and two former senior military officers. The officers are suspected of colluding with the syndicate by leaking operational information to help them evade enforcement. — Bernama
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
PBS calls on members to rally behind GRS in upcoming elections
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has reminded its members of the support provided by Pakatan Harapan during the January 2023 Sabah political crisis. PBS acting president Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said that if it were not for Pakatan at that time, PBS might have been in the opposition stand. In that event, Sabah Barisan had withdrawn its support for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), but Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor remained in power with the backing of Sabah Pakatan assemblymen. Gunsalam said this was why GRS would continue to work with Pakatan in the coming state election and why there was a need for PBS members to give their full support. Gunsalam called on all party members to also stay united and work with other GRS partners to face the upcoming state election. He advised against blindly trusting social media messages, as there were daily efforts to weaken the connection between PBS, Sabah STAR and Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah within GRS. 'If you have any doubts, ask your division chiefs for clarification. Division chiefs who are unsure of anything, please refer to the central leadership first before issuing any statement or response to any issues,' he said. Gunsalam said this when officiating the annual general meeting for three divisions: Lamag, Sukau and Sekong in Sandakan, on Saturday (Aug 16). His statement came after Sabah STAR stated its intention to contest in Chinese-majority seats in the coming state election. Chinese majority seats are usually allocated to partner parties in Pakatan. GRS is an eight-party coalition made up of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, Usno, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Sabah STAR, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Parti Cinta Sabah.
