Latest news with #KinabaluMove
Daily Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Sabah Umno must accept reality
Published on: Thursday, June 05, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jun 05, 2025 By: Lagatah Toyos Text Size: Nizam said Umno still cannot accept the fact that within a coalition of political parties, the party with the highest number of seats has the priority to lead the coalition. TAWAU: Sabah Umno needs to accept the reality that it is no longer the political 'big brother' as it continues to lose support both nationally and in Sabah where the people are tired of the same old script, said Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Information Chief Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan. He said the current Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government has chosen to look forward by forging a strategic partnership with Pakatan Harapan (PH) to ensure post-GE15 stability and in preparation for the 17th State Election (PRN17). 'Ultimately, real power does not lie in the hands of any individual, party, or propaganda — but in the hands of the people… Let the people of Sabah judge who is truly working and who is merely acting,' he said, in a statement, Wednesday. The Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister said he read with interest the remarks by Kota Kinabalu Umno Division Chief and Umno Women's Exco member Musliati Moslimin, who claimed that Umno is not a 'political tool,' not a 'script filler' and not a 'buyer of false promises.' Ironically, he said, such statements come from a party with a long history of writing political scripts full of loopholes — including in Sabah. Nizam said during the 2020 Sabah state election, history clearly showed who actually violated agreements and moral principles when, just two days before nomination day, Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) had agreed to contest 27 seats. 'However, when the time came, they contested 41 seats, which was not only a breach of understanding but also caused confusion and early cracks in the coalition. 'If they want to talk about 'dignity' and 'betrayal,' Umno should first reflect on its own historical record,' he said. Nizam, also Apas Assemblyman, said Umno still cannot accept the fact that within a coalition of political parties, the party with the highest number of seats has the priority to lead the coalition. He said GRS, which Musliati labelled as a coalition of 'splinter parties,' managed to secure the highest number of seats and therefore had the right to choose the Sabah Chief Minister—something that is not a betrayal, but the foundation of real democracy. 'Even more surprising is that Musliati did not mention the 'Kinabalu Move' incident in January 2023, when several Umno leaders, including Datuk Bung Moktar Radin, were involved in an attempt to overthrow the existing government,' he said. According to him, the actions of Bung and several other Umno leaders not only threatened the State's stability but also gambled with the people's mandate. Therefore, he said, their removal from the State Cabinet and positions in agencies was the Chief Minister's prerogative in order to safeguard the State's stability and interests. * 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
Borneo Post
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
GRS aims for 52 seats, 21 for national allies
Masiung, flanked by party leaders, leads the crowd in chanting 'Hidup GRS!', echoing the unwavering spirit of the coalition's supporters in Kuamut. TONGOD (May 25): Kuamut assemblyman Datuk Masiung Banah known for his rallying slogan 'Tatap Kalaga', has proposed that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) contest at least 52 seats in the upcoming 17th Sabah State Election. Speaking before an enthusiastic crowd of over 700 supporters during a GRS roadshow at Kampung Mananam yesterday, Masiung said the proposal is in response to the strong grassroots sentiment in favour of local parties. 'Given the clear support shown by Sabahans for local leadership, I would propose that GRS contests 52 seats if agreed upon by the GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. The remaining 21 seats can be allocated to national parties that are willing to cooperate with GRS,' he said. Masiung, who is also Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) vice president, stressed that GRS has the potential to emerge as the dominant force in the next state government, especially with the opposition previously rejected by the people during their time in power. He added that GRS would exercise greater caution in forging alliances, taking lessons from the failed attempt to topple the state government via the so-called 'Kinabalu Move' in January 2023. Despite the attempt to topple Hajiji's government, GRS retained majority support with backing from Sabah Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional. At present, Masiung noted the working relationship between GRS and Pakatan Harapan (PH) remains stable and constructive, a partnership he believes should continue as Sabah heads toward the polls. 'If this cooperation between GRS and PH can be maintained, I am confident we have the strength and trust to once again form the Sabah State Government,' he said. The GRS component parties are Gagasan Rakyat, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Sabah STAR, United Sabah National Organisation (Usno), Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah. Earlier, Masiung's arrival at the Mananam Polling District Centre (PDM) was celebrated with a heroic welcome by the local Sungai Mangkuling community. The atmosphere was festive, with more than 30 motorcycles parading the GRS flag in a show of grassroots support. The tour was also attended by key leaders of GRS component parties in the Kuamut constituency. In a symbolic gesture, Masiung raised the GRS flag to officially mark the event, standing alongside PBS Division head Masum Takin, PPM representative Tokyo Hasim Omar, and USNO's James Aik.
Daily Express
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Desperation may see PN turn to GRS in Sabah polls, says analyst
Published on: Thursday, May 15, 2025 Published on: Thu, May 15, 2025 By: Ainin Wan Salleh, FMT Text Size: A PAS leader has suggested that PN support GRS in the upcoming Sabah polls as PH and BN have already announced their own alliance. PETALING JAYA: Any decision by Perikatan Nasional to back Gabungan Rakyat Sabah at the coming state election will likely be driven by desperation, according to an analyst. University of Tasmania's James Chin said PN was 'very weak' in Sabah, with PAS unpopular in the state while most of Bersatu's elected representatives have defected to GRS. For that reason, he said, PN may have no choice but to work with GRS. PAS only holds one seat in the 79-seat state assembly, with its representative, Aliakbar Gulasan, among six nominated members of the legislative assembly. More than 10 of Sabah's Bersatu assemblymen quit the party during the 2023 'Kinabalu Move' incident and became direct members of GRS after the state polls, including chief minister Hajiji Noor (Sulaman), Masidi Manjun (Karanaan) and Rubin Balang (Kemabong). On Sunday, PAS deputy election director Annuar Musa said PN should support GRS in the upcoming Sabah polls as PH and BN have already announced their own alliance. Annuar, a former Umno secretary-general, said PN should study the option of contesting under the GRS banner, or sit out the polls altogether. Sabah PN chairman Ronald Kiandee however criticised Annuar for his comments, saying he ought to have brought the matter up at the coalition's Supreme Council meeting before airing his views in public. Kiandee said Sabah's ever-shifting political landscape makes it challenging for any party, including PN, to take a firm stance on alliances. Chin however said that GRS was unlikely to link up with PN and would prefer an alliance with PH. PH could probably also help GRS rebuild ties with BN, he added. Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, of strategic advisory firm ADA Southeast Asia, was on the same page as Chin, saying PAS and Bersatu's brand of politics would not resonate well with the Sabah electorate. After meeting Hajiji yesterday, PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim expressed optimism that the three coalitions could come to an electoral agreement. Anwar also said PH has given the GRS chairman its full support to lead discussions on the potential three-coalition alliance. Bilcher Bala of Universiti Malaysia Sabah suggested that, to sweeten the deal for GRS, PH-BN could offer key positions in the state government, assurances of autonomy in local governance, and a clear, mutually beneficial development agenda for Sabah. Meanwhile, Asrul said Hajiji might consider forming an alliance with PH-BN if Umno was willing to relinquish its claim to seats held by assemblymen who defied party orders to retract their support for Hajiji's administration in January 2023. Sabah Umno and GRS have been at odds ever since. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * 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
Daily Express
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
NGO warns of potential challenges in seat negotiations
Published on: Tuesday, May 13, 2025 Published on: Tue, May 13, 2025 Text Size: Zulkarnain said a clash between GRS and BN at the 17th state election would be hard to avoid. Kota Kinabalu: An NGO warned of potential challenges in seat negotiations between Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Barisan Nasional (BN) following the attempted coup led by Sabah BN Chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin against Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. Sabah-based Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57) also said the State's ruling coalition was being continuously attacked by Umno, the BN lynchpin. 'Compounding matters is that Bung still heads Sabah Umno. Hence, a concrete decision in terms of seat negotiations between GRS and BN will be difficult to achieve,' G57 Chairman Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar said in a statement. He said a clash between GRS and BN at the 17th state election would be hard to avoid. However, clashes between the coalitions should be perceived as 'friendly competition' as they are part of the same team at the federal level. He was commenting on the agreement between Pakatan Harapan (BH) Chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his BN counterpart Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for the coalitions to work together in facing the Sabah state election. Top Sabah PH leaders have described the central leadership decision as a rational move, given the nature of the coalition's relationship at the federal level. Two years ago, Bung failed to overthrow Hajiji in a coup later dubbed the 'Kinabalu Move'. Last month, an analyst told FMT that an electoral pact in Sabah between BN and PH for the impending state election would be tricky, chiefly due to the presence of Bung. James Chin of Tasmania University said the Sabah BN Chairman represented the 'biggest problem' for the proposed alliance. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * 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
Free Malaysia Today
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
GRS-BN seat talks hard after failed coup, says NGO
Sabah BN chairman Bung Moktar Radin failed to overthrow chief minister Hajiji Noor in a coup later dubbed the 'Kinabalu Move'. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : An NGO has warned of potential challenges in seat negotiations between Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Barisan Nasional following the attempted coup led by Sabah BN chairman Bung Moktar Radin against chief minister Hajiji Noor. Sabah-based Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57) also said the state's ruling coalition was being continuously attacked by Umno, the BN lynchpin. 'Compounding matters is that Bung still heads Sabah Umno. Hence, a concrete decision in terms of seat negotiations between GRS and BN will be difficult to achieve,' G57 chairman Zulkarnain Mahdar said in a statement. He said a clash between GRS and BN at the 17th state election would be hard to avoid. However, clashes between the coalitions should be perceived as 'friendly competition' as they are part of the same team at the federal level. He was commenting on the agreement between Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim and his BN counterpart Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for the coalitions to work together in facing the Sabah state election. Top Sabah PH leaders have described the central leadership decision as a rational move, given the nature of the coalition's relationship at the federal level. Two years ago, Bung failed to overthrow Hajiji in a coup later dubbed the 'Kinabalu Move'. Last month, an analyst told FMT that an electoral pact in Sabah between BN and PH for the impending state election would be tricky, chiefly due to the presence of Bung. James Chin of Tasmania University said the Sabah BN chairman represented the 'biggest problem' for the proposed alliance.
