Latest news with #LangkahKinabalu
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Umno told to look in mirror before accusing others of betrayal
Nizam KOTA KINABALU (June 4): If one wishes to speak of dignity and betrayal, Umno should first take a hard look at its own history, said Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan. The Assistant Minister to the Sabah Chief Minister said that he read with interest the statement by the Umno Kota Kinabalu 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, this statement comes from a party with a long history of scripting flawed political narratives, including in Sabah,' said Nizam, who is also Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) information chief. 'The reality is, during the 2020 Sabah state election (PRN), history clearly records who broke agreements and moral principles. Just two days before nomination day, Umno and Barisan Nasional had agreed to contest 27 seats. Yet, when the time came, they contested 41 seats — a move that not only violated mutual understanding but also created confusion and early fractures within the coalition,' he reminded. Nizam also said that Umno also still refuses to accept the fact that in a coalition of political parties, the party with the highest number of seats holds the priority to lead. 'The GRS coalition, which Musliati dismisses as 'splinter parties,' won the highest number of seats and thus rightfully held the prerogative to choose the Chief Minister of Sabah. This is not betrayal — it is the foundation of true democracy.' More surprising is that Musliati makes no mention of the 'Langkah Kinabalu' incident in January 2023, in which several Umno leaders, including Datuk Bung Moktar Radin, were involved in an attempt to topple the existing government, he said. He added that the actions of Bung Moktar and several Umno leaders not only threatened state stability but gambled with the people's mandate. 'Their removal from the Cabinet and positions in government agencies was the Chief Minister's prerogative, made in the interest of safeguarding the state's stability.' He said that Umno Sabah must also come to terms with the fact that they are no longer the 'big brother' of politics. 'Nationally, they continue to lose public support, and in Sabah, the people are tired of the same old script — just with different actors, but the same plot,' said Nizam. He also said that the GRS government today chooses to look forward, forging strategic cooperation with Pakatan Harapan to ensure post-GE15 stability and prepare for the upcoming Sabah state election. 'Ultimately, real power lies not in the hands of any individual, party, or propaganda — but in the hands of the people. Let the people of Sabah decide who is truly working for them, and who merely excels at political theatre.' Musliati has described the experience of working with GRS as a betrayal of the trust and sacrifices made by Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) since the 2020 Sabah state election. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Musliati stressed that the state government formed after the 2020 polls was not the result of any one party's strength, but rather a coalition comprising several components, including Bersatu, PBS, STAR, and most importantly, Umno-BN. She asserted that Umno had not only contributed the highest number of seats to GRS at the time, but also provided vital election machinery, resources and grassroots support which formed the backbone of the coalition. 'Bersatu, at that time, was still in its infancy and relied heavily on the groundwork that Umno had established over the years. Yet silently, the hand extended in friendship was met with poison,' she said. Musliati also revealed that Umno had been sabotaged by independent candidates allegedly sponsored by certain quarters within GRS. Despite this, Umno still managed to secure 14 seats, more than Bersatu's 11. She went on to describe Umno's decision to give way to Datuk Seri Pangllima Hajiji Noor to become Chief Minister as a sacrifice made in the interest of state stability, even though Umno had a stronger claim to the post based on the number of seats won.
Daily Express
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Express
Sabahans sure to reject Umno
Sabahans sure to reject Umno Kota Kinabalu: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Information Chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai has fired back at Sabah Umno Chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, calling his latest remarks arrogant and disconnected from Sabah's political reality. 'Bung is the last person who should talk about loyalty or sincerity. He tried to bring down the very government he was part of, just to serve his own ambition. That speaks volumes,' he said. Advertisement He dismissed Bung's claim that GRS had betrayed Barisan Nasional (BN), describing it as a clear attempt to twist the narrative and deflect from his own actions. 'It's Bung who conspired with Warisan and PKDM in January 2023 to topple the government led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. SPONSORED CONTENT 'He wasn't betrayed, he was the one doing the betraying. Even while sitting in the state Cabinet, he had no respect for his colleagues in the State government led by Hajiji as Chief Minister.' Joniston stressed that GRS has never been reliant on Umno and is fully prepared to face the upcoming state election independently. Advertisement He also pointed out that during the political crisis, several Umno assemblymen refused to support Bung's move and instead threw their backing behind Hajiji, alongside PH. 'If anyone needs to reflect, it's Bung. Why did even your own colleagues abandon your 'Langkah Kinabalu'? Why did PH support Hajiji, not you? The answer is obvious because the trust wasn't with you,' he said. Advertisement Joniston, who is also PBS information chief, reiterated that his party would never forget the insult hurled by Bung when he once labelled PBS as 'melukut di tepi gantang'. 'You showed no respect for PBS or your allies, and now you expect cooperation? Don't be surprised if Sabahans continue to reject Umno just like they did in other states across the Peninsula. 'Sabah isn't your political lifeline. Don't treat this state like your fallback plan,' he said, stressing that GRS is now focused on what matters - unity, stability, and delivering for the people.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- General
- New Straits Times
Bung the last person to talk about loyalty
KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Information Chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai has responded to Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin's latest remarks, labelling them arrogant and disconnected from Sabah's political landscape. "Bung is the last person who should talk about loyalty or sincerity. He tried to bring down the very government he was part of, just to serve his own ambition. That speaks volumes," he said. He rejected Bung's claim that GRS betrayed Barisan Nasional (BN), calling it a clear attempt to distort the facts and shift blame. "It's Bung who conspired with Warisan and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (PKDM) in January 2023 to topple the government led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. "He wasn't betrayed, he was the one doing the betraying. Even while sitting in the state Cabinet,he had no respect for his colleagues in the state government led by Hajiji as Chief Minister." Joniston added that GRS was never reliant on Umno. "If anyone needs to reflect, it's Bung. Why did even your own colleagues abandon your 'Langkah Kinabalu'? Why did PH support Hajiji, not you? The answer is obvious because the trust wasn't with you," he said. "Sabah isn't your political lifeline. Don't treat this state like your fallback plan," he said. Earlier today, Bung had said Sabah Umno will not cooperate with GRS for the 17th state election. He stressed that the party will only consider any form of cooperation with GRS after the election. Bung claimed that the bitter experience of working with GRS in the past has made Sabah Umno more cautious in forming political alliances, especially with the Sabah-based coalition, in orderto avoid being betrayed again. He had earlier announced BN's cooperation with Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH), even before any formal decision was made by the top leadership of both coalitions. The collaboration was later formalised through a joint statement by leaders from both BN and PH at the federal level.
The Star
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Sabah polls: GRS eyes 52 seats, 21 to national parties, says Banah
KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is expected to field candidates in at least 52 out of the 73 state constituencies in the upcoming 17th state election (PRN17), signalling a strong push by the coalition to retain power. "Given the strong local sentiment towards Sabah-based parties ahead of this election, I foresee us contesting 52 seats, subject to the approval of GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor," said Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) vice-president Datuk Masiung Banah. "The remaining 21 seats will be allocated to national parties that agree to cooperate with GRS," Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) vice-president Datuk Masiung Banah told hundreds of attendees at a roadshow in Kampung Mananam, Tenom, on Saturday (May 24). Banah expressed confidence that local candidates under the GRS banner could outperform opposition parties, particularly those previously rejected by voters during their time in government. The Kuamut assemblyman stressed that GRS would be more cautious in forming future alliances, citing the failed power grab attempt during the 'Langkah Kinabalu' episode in January 2023. Several opposition assemblymen and political leaders from Sabah Barisan Nasional and Parti Warisan, along with defectors who allegedly wanted to align state power, tried to engineer a change of government by persuading elected representatives to switch allegiance and withdraw support from Hajiji. However, the plan failed after Hajiji managed to retain majority support in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, thanks to backing from most GRS component parties, several Sabah Barisan assemblymen, and Sabah Pakatan Harapan, which pledged support for political stability. Banah, meanwhile, stated that the current working relationship between GRS and Sabah Pakatan, both politically and administratively, remains strong and should be maintained. He believes that if the collaboration continues into the upcoming election, the coalition stands a strong chance of forming the Sabah government once again. Earlier, Banah received a warm welcome from the Orang Sungai Making ethnic community at the Mananam District Polling Centre (PDM), accompanied by a convoy of over 30 motorcycles waving GRS flags. The GRS roadshow was attended by all division chiefs from the coalition's component parties in the Kuamut constituency. Apart from Gagasan Rakyat, the other seven GRS component parties are 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.
Daily Express
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Masiung hints GRS to contest 52 seats, continued cooperation with PH likely
Published on: Sunday, May 25, 2025 Published on: Sun, May 25, 2025 Text Size: Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah vice president Datuk Masiung Banah hinted that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) may contest at least 52 seats in the upcoming 17th Sabah state election. This, he said is pending approval from the coalition's chairman who is also Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. The remaining 21 seats could be allocated to national parties aligned with GRS. Speaking at a GRS tour event in Kampung Mananam attended by over 700 people, the Gagasan Rakyat Vice President expressed confidence in the strength of local candidates under GRS, citing past rejection of the opposition by voters. The Kuamut assemblyman said GRS would be cautious in forming alliances, referring to the failed "Langkah Kinabalu" coup in January 2023. However, he noted that the current cooperation with Pakatan Harapan (PH) is strong and could continue into the polls, potentially enabling them to form the state government again. * 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
