Usno feels belittled within GRS, says president, warning it may be forced to contest solo
KOTA KINABALU: United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) has warned that it may be forced to contest solo in the upcoming state election if it continues to be belittled and sidelined within the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
Party president Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia's unhappiness stems from what he described as a dismissive attitude by some leaders within GRS, who questioned Usno's right to demand seats despite the party's efforts to build grassroots support across Sabah.
"I am not satisfied when I hear friends asking, how can Usno ask for seats when they claim we have no movement, no support on the ground," he said during the party's Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house in Sandakan recently.
"We hope the top leadership of GRS will consider Usno, even though we are seen as a 'mosquito' party," he added.
Pandikar warned that if the sidelining continued, Usno would have no choice but to contest independently.
"In politics, there are conditions and possibilities. Like what (Datuk Seri) Dr Jeffrey (Kitingan) said, today we are friends, tomorrow we might be rivals.
"It is not because Usno wants to contest solo, but because we are forced by the situation of being sidelined," he said.
Pandikar also said that in today's political landscape, party branding mattered less than the ability to win seats.
"Politics in Malaysia is no longer like before. Today, politics does not look at the party, does not look at anything.
"As long as you have a seat, even if you are an independent, you can strengthen a group that becomes the chief minister.
"It doesn't matter if the person knows nothing. What is valuable now is the number," he said.
He said Usno's momentum would continue with more grassroots engagements planned across Semporna, Kota Kinabalu, Petagas, Tanjung Keramat, Banggi and Pitas.
Pandikar also warned that political leaders must not underestimate the growing aspiration among younger voters for a Sarawak-style political model, where local parties dominate without external interference.
"Voters today are not like five or 10 years ago. Before, if you wore a songkok and stood under the Barisan Nasional logo, you would win. Now, even big parties can lose to independents," he said.
"If leaders misread this aspiration, we will be watering the seeds of rebellion," he added.
Reflecting on internal dynamics within GRS, Pandikar said rivalry among parties was inevitable.
"In a big group like GRS, we treat each other like siblings. But even among siblings, there is rivalry – rivalry to get the attention of the head of the family," he said.
GRS currently comprises Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, Parti Bersatu Sabah, Homeland Solidarity Party, Usno, Sabah Progressive Party, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, Liberal Democratic Party and Parti Cinta Sabah.
Usno, which officially joined GRS in May 2022, currently does not hold any state or federal seats in Sabah.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
an hour ago
- Daily Express
Concrete plan to tackle infra woes, says DCM
Published on: Friday, August 22, 2025 Published on: Fri, Aug 22, 2025 Text Size: "The GRS government has since appointed maintenance contractors, but such problems cannot be solved overnight – it takes time,' Shahelmey said. Kota Kinabalu: The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government has a concrete plan to tackle basic infrastructure woes, as opposed to the 'empty promises' made by some parties ahead of the Sabah election, said Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Seri Shahelmey Yahya. He said while every party was entitled to pledge solutions to the people's woes, only long-term planning could deliver real results. Advertisement 'If anyone promises that these problems can be fixed immediately once they gain power, those are nothing more than empty promises. 'What is needed is long-term planning. GRS already has a comprehensive plan in place, it just needs to be implemented according to schedule,' said Shahelmey, who is also State Works Minister. Last week, Warisan President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal told FMT that his party's priority, if it won the Sabah election, would be to improve water, electricity and road infrastructure. The former Chief Minister acknowledged that these issues were not resolved during his 26-month administration from May 2018 to September 2020, but cited constraints brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. Giving the example of Sabah's water supply issues, Shahelmey said the Warisan government at the time decided to halt maintenance works for water treatment plants in the name of cost-cutting. 'But maintenance costs are unavoidable. Operations that previously ran smoothly deteriorated because of a lack of proper planning, including maintenance and equipment replacement. This undermined production and efficiency at water plants. The GRS government has since appointed maintenance contractors, but such problems cannot be solved overnight – it takes time,' Shahelmey said. He expressed hope that the implementation of GRS's plans could continue with a fresh mandate from the people in the coming state election, supported by larger allocations, particularly from Sabah's push for 40pc of the state tax revenues. * 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. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Sabah poll shows 32 per cent of voters remain undecided ahead of state election
KOTA KINABALU: A large bloc of undecided voters is set to shape the Sabah state election, a survey shows. Research firm Vodus found that 32 per cent of the electorate there remains undecided, with economy, living costs, job opportunities and healthcare cited as top concerns. According to Vodus Research founder Kelvin Goh, "there is a strong signal that evolving priorities and political leanings of the electorate and political parties banking on legacy support should be alert". However, the most striking finding is the 32 per cent of voters who remain undecided, making them the single largest segment after GRS supporters, Goh said. The statewide poll, conducted in June 2025 by Vodus proprietary OMTOS online survey platform, canvassed 536 registered voters across Sabah's diverse demographics. The research also revealed that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leads with 25 per cent of voter support. It is followed by Barisan Nasional (BN) at 13 per cent , Pakatan Harapan (PH) at 10 per cent, and Parti Warisan at 9 per cent. Goh added 66 per cent of Sabahans cited leadership qualities such as competence, integrity, and trustworthiness as the top criterion, followed by the candidate's background and economic policies. The survey also indicates party manifestos and political track records ranked lower in importance, suggesting that voters may be increasingly personality-driven rather than party-driven in their choices. "This trend is particularly strong among Indigenous Sabahans and Malay voters, groups where GRS currently enjoys strong support. "While GRS holds a commanding lead, the race remains highly fluid. Political parties aiming to secure victory will need more than just party branding. "They must present credible solutions on economic hardship, healthcare, and local governance," he said in the statement. The survey also highlighted several demographic gaps that could offer strategic openings. For instance, among first-time voters, BN performs better than other parties. On the other hand, it stated that PH would find its strongest support among voters under 35 but does not lead in any age group. On an ethnic basis, GRS is preferred by Malays (28 per cent) and Indigenous Sabahans (29 per cent). BN leads among Chinese voters (33 per cent), though its support is weaker among Indigenous groups. With an expected turnout of 80 per cent, including 8 per cent first-time voters, the Sabah state election could serve as an indicator for broader national trends, particularly the rise of issue-based voting and leadership centred preferences. "Sabah is known for its fluid political alignments and multi-ethnic electorate. The large undecided bloc could prove decisive come polling day. "As such, voter outreach and clarity on pressing issues will be crucial in the final stretch," he said in a statement. He added the survey also reveals rising cost of living, job opportunities and healthcare, and corruption concern voters. In contrast, state autonomy under Malaysian Agreement 1963 was rated least important, particularly among younger and less politically engaged voters.
Borneo Post
11 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Upcoming Sabah polls my last - Hajiji
Hajiji TUARAN (Aug 21): Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor today announced that the upcoming 17th state election will be the final one of his political career. The 70-year-old, who has served as an elected representative for 35 years, made the emotional declaration during the launch of the SK Bundung Hall in Tuaran on Thursday. Hajiji, who is the chairman of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and president of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan), revealed that he had already informed his constituents in Sulaman of his decision. 'Otherwise, I am actually very tired of politics. I am old already, although my heart is still 'young'. Half of my life, I have been an elected representative for 35 years. I am now 70 years old,' he stated . The seasoned politician, who began his career as a public servant before entering politics in 1990 as a member of the United Sabah National Organisation (Usno), has had a long and dynamic political journey. After Usno was dissolved, he joined Umno in 1994. Following the fall of the Barisan Nasional government in 2020, Hajiji led former Sabah Umno leaders to join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu). Two years later, after the 15th general election, he again led an exodus, this time from Bersatu, to form the local-based Gagasan party. His announcement comes amid significant political developments in Sabah, including GRS's recent proposal to include a two-term limit for the Chief Minister's post in its election manifesto. Hajiji emphasized the importance of passing the baton to newer and younger leaders, a sentiment he has expressed previously to his constituents. The upcoming state election, which must be held by December 7, 2025, is shaping up to be a complex and consequential contest, with shifting alliances and multi-cornered fights anticipated. Hajiji's leadership and the future of GRS will be pivotal in determining Sabah's political trajectory. In his speech earlier, Hajiji reiterated the State Government's unwavering commitment to advancing human capital and education development under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development blueprint, describing recent initiatives as 'unprecedented'. He said that over the past five years, the State Government has channelled a significant RM1.33 billion towards education and human resource development. 'Never before have we implemented such a wide range of initiatives for the development of human capital and education in Sabah,' he said. Among the most notable advancements this year is the substantial increase in state scholarships, now amounting to RM138 million, nearly triple the previous allocation of RM50 million. 'However, this amount is still insufficient. I have directed the State Secretary to further increase the allocation next year so that more high-achieving Sabah students can benefit from this assistance,' Hajiji stated. He added that the government also provides a RM200 cash aid to approximately 40,000 students sitting for the SPM and STPM examinations each year. 'I understand that among these 40,000 students, many come from less fortunate families. I still remember when I was preparing to sit for the Lower Cambridge Examination (LCE) in 1971, my mother had to borrow RM15 from relatives just to pay my exam fees. I know how difficult it can be,' he shared candidly. Hajiji assured that education and human capital development would remain top priorities for his administration. 'These areas are central to the overall SMJ development strategy. While we have made significant progress in developing Sabah's economy through the agriculture, tourism and industrial sectors, our efforts would be incomplete if we failed to invest in the education sector,' he stressed. The Chief Minister also urged educators to help disseminate accurate information about government policies and development programmes. 'Do not be swayed by the lies and slander propagated by the opposition. They fail to acknowledge the achievements of the State Government,' he said. Hajiji highlighted the State Government's successful track record in securing high-impact investments and generating employment opportunities in Sabah. 'If we were truly doing wrong, why would so many investors come to Sabah?' he questioned, pointing out that the latest is a Singaporean company planning a RM31 billion investment in three phases in Sipitang. The Chief Minister later witnessed a cake-cutting ceremony to mark the retirement of SK Bundung's headmistress, Grace Subramaniam. Also present at the event was Rural Development Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Jahid Jahim.
