GRS to pursue two-term cap on Chief Minister's tenure

Daily Express

17-07-2025

Published on: Friday, July 18, 2025
Published on: Fri, Jul 18, 2025
By: Hayati Dzulkifli Text Size: PAPAR: The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government will pursue its proposal to limit the Chief Minister's tenure to two consecutive terms if its mandate is renewed in the coming state election (PRN17). GRS Deputy Secretary-General Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the proposal was approved, in principle, at the State Cabinet level under the GRS-Pakatan Harapan (PH) Plus government in December 2023. However, it could not be tabled for constitutional amendment due to lack of a strong majority in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN).
Advertisement 'Previously, we did not have a stable number of seats to amend the Sabah Constitution which requires two-third majority for the proposal to be passed. 'So, during the process of drafting this Bill we decided to table it once we receive a fresh mandate. 'Therefore, GRS is hoping for a bigger win or two-thirds majority in PRN17. This commitment will be the first initiative we will carry out once we are entrusted with the people's confidence,' he said. Armizan, who is also Member of Parliament for Papar, was commenting on issues discussed in the first meeting which he chaired with representatives of eight component parties of GRS to shape the framework of the GRS Manifesto and to refine the record of five year journey under the SMJ Roadmap. He was speaking at a press conference after the launching of the 10 Star Film Community and the premiere of a box office movie Impak Maksima 2 at Majestic Ballroom of a cinema in Parklane City, Benoni here, Wednesday. Also present were 10STAR Cinemas Sdn Bhd CEO Onn Norshal Hamzah, Impak Maksima 2 director Datuk Ahmad Idham, and WSG Group Managing Director Datuk Susan Wong. Armizan said the manifesto would have two components. The first is to highlight efforts and determine the four pillar of GRS struggles – Sabah First, Sabah Forward, Sabah Prosper and Sabah United. The second is GRS' achievements for the past five years under Sabah Maju Jaya 1.0 (SMJ 1.0) Roadmap as well as the remaining ones (initiatives, efforts and policies) that are in progress. 'GRS has implemented SMJ 1.0 when it was given the mandate by 5the people to form the Sabah government in General Election 2020. 'These achievements will be presented under two categories: first, 'walk the talk' —fulfilling promises made by GRS — and second, 'work in progress' — promises that have already been acted on but not yet completed. 'We will present all of GRS's accomplishments over the past five years under the SMJ 1.0 agenda, and at the same time share the ongoing efforts that are still in progress,' he said. For example, Armizan said the 'Sabah United' pillar not only focused on fostering unity but also ensuring a stronger commitment to good governance from all levels of society. He said under the 'Sabah United' is to set a limit of two consecutive terms for the Chief Minister's tenure under the GRS's Manifesto for PRN17. In addition, he said the proposal also included a situation where the same leader can be elected as the Chief Minister again after a break of one term after serving two consecutive terms. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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