Hajiji Confirms GRS, PH Electoral Pact In Sabah Election
The Chief Minister said the matter had been discussed among GRS component parties, and a consensus was reached to establish an electoral arrangement with PH.
Hajiji, who is also Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) president, said the move reflects the ongoing cooperation between GRS and PH within the current state administration.
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'Of course, we are ready, but (the electoral pact formula) is not yet finalised. There are still a few matters to iron out,' he told reporters after officiating the Gagasan Rakyat Annual General Meeting 2025 here today.
Meanwhile, Sabah PH deputy chairman Datuk Mustapha Sakmud expressed his appreciation to the Chief Minister for upholding the spirit of cooperation between the two coalitions.
'I think it's good news for Sabah,' he said.
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Mustapha said the next step would involve negotiations on seat allocation and expressed hope that the process would be carried out fairly.
Asked how many seats Sabah PH is eyeing in the upcoming state polls, Mustapha said the coalition is targeting between 23 and 25 seats, subject to the outcome of negotiations.
The current five-year term of the 16th Sabah state assembly will expire automatically on Nov 11, paving the way for the 17th Sabah State Election.
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Hajiji replying to reporters at the recent Gagasan Rakyat annual convention. While the 'Go solo!' proponents continue their call, on the other side of the fence, the 'No solo!' advocates are also drumming up for support! The former are those who insist on fighting for independence from political meddling in Sabah by Peninsular-based parties, and continuing to push forward with the 'Sabah for Sabahans' slogan, while the latter feel such a desire, while noble, is not the best choice to win the next state general election (PRN17). Heading this group is no less than the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Hj Noor, who feels that the best strategic choice to win PRN17 and retain governance of Sabah is by keeping GRS intact and strengthened it with a strategic partnership with Pakatan Harapan (PH). He has assured this writer that GRS will definitely not be partnering with Barisan Nasional, hence denying the announcement by Umno President Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi that 'BN will maintain alliance with PH in the next Sabah state general election.' That might as well be because it's hard to picture GRS leaders in the same campaign team with Sabah Umno, headed by Datuk Seri Panglima Bung Mokhtar who once launched the infamous Kinabalu Move (Langkah Kinabalu) coup attempt against the GRS government. Hajiji sympathizes with those who are passionate about going solo, but he says the pragmatic approach to the critical D-Day for the next state government is to work with Pakatan Harapan. He reasons that the obvious tactical advantage with working the PH is the added strength for GRS which will predominate the power balance with complete alignment of the three racial groupings in Sabah – the Momogun, Muslim and Chinese voters. He sees that the PH will bring in the DAP with the pull-in power to attract the Chinese voters, a strength no local Chinese party has. As he has always maintained, Sabah's governance must continue a close co-operation with the federal government for continued development, and partnership with PH in the PRN17 will ensure election victory and pre-seal close state-federal relations post-election. 'We need to be pragmatic and not be unduly influenced by emotion,' he said. 'Going solo may look heroic but that will be a path with huge potentials for mistakes!' He is not alone in his view. In a viral write-up by Usno Chief Information Officer, Iskandar Zulkarnain Ismail, he asserts that 'Let us not allow our common cause to be divided while our political opponents quietly reorganise to reclaim what we built. Let Sabahans see STAR, PBS, USNO and all GRS components rise as one, with clarity, maturity and determination — not out of frustration, but from a place of purpose and people's mandate. As Robert Greene wrote in The 48 Laws of Power, 'Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.' Our opponents are not attacking us directly — they are striking at our unity, hoping we scatter ourselves. Let us not oblige them. In the end, unity is not submission. To struggle within GRS is not to betray principles. To defend our home is not to isolate ourselves. It is to build collective strength, so our political house remains unshakable, and Sabah's future remains in Sabahan hands.' Another write-up forwarded to me by Usno President Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, opines that 'going 'solo' in a five or sixcornered fight may sound heroic, but the number works against voters, especially newcomers to the ballot box. When the field is splintered, a candidate can scrape through with barely eight or ten percent of the vote, meaning each ballot counts for less and whole communities risk being represented by someone most people never chose …. 'Beyond the numbers, frequent changes in government trigger a cascade of administrative resets: every time a new ruling bloc takes over, files are reopened, tenders reviewed, and projects paused. The PanBorneo Highway's stopstart history is a textbook example. Tens of thousands of commuters and businesses waited years while successive administrations rechecked paperwork instead of laying asphalt. Instability also chills federal support. Like it or not, Malaysia's treasury sits in Kuala Lumpur; when Sabah's leadership keeps revolving, officials in Putrajaya grow reluctant to release large, multiyear allocations, unsure whether the next state cabinet will even honour existing agreements. Shut the door on constructive dialogue, and Sabah slides to the back of the funding queue while other states with steadier governance move ahead. In short, a solo crusade may satisfy an urge for defiance, but it fragments voter power, stalls essential projects, and risks freezing out the very development funds firsttime voters want to see invested in their future. As such, GRS leaders and supporters appear to be already split. PBS has repeatedly made the assurance about its loyalty to GRS while STAR has gone along with the flow in GRS with a sizable segment of its members wanting a different path, echoing out the solo dream. But for all we know, Hajiji's choice to continue aligning with PH may actually be the most practical, logical and pragmatic – and wise – approach towards ensuring GRS keeps the seat of government post-PRN17. While cynics may speak negatively against his decision, he may eventually be proven right. His task now, of course, is the sell the idea to all GRS leaders and the people to ensure his formula for victory works out and ultimately solidifying his legacy as a statesman with the record as the longest-serving assemblyman.
