Latest news with #PartiGagasanRakyatSabah
The Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Former leader's opposition to Borneo bloc prompted GRS to back unity government, Hajiji says
KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chose to support the Madani government after the federal election 2022 because of a former government leader's apparent dislike for the idea of a Borneo bloc, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. The GRS chairman said he was deeply shocked by the individual, which led him to lose the will to cooperate with them. 'He called himself a 'master' and said he didn't like the Borneo bloc. He didn't want us to share stories or experiences with our neighbouring state Sarawak. 'I was stunned by those words. I kept thinking about his intentions. The more I thought, the more disheartened I became. 'In the end, I decided to take GRS to support the unity government,' the Sabah Chief Minister said during the presidential winding-up speech at the 2025 Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) annual general assembly here on Sunday (July 27). Hajiji said backing the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was the right move, as Sabah has since seen gradual returns of its rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). He said it was previously difficult to get the federal government to delegate powers or approve Sabah's requests. 'So, if the unity government is good for our state, why shouldn't we support it?' he added. Earlier today, Hajiji confirmed that GRS and Pakatan would contest the election as an electoral pact, saying both coalitions would 'continue the cooperation between GRS and Pakatan as it stands today." The Borneo bloc was an effort following the 2018 general election to give Sabah and Sarawak MPs a greater voice for the region in the federal government. Following the November 2022 general election, Hajiji led a mass exodus to support the Unity Government, abandoning Perikatan Nasional and Bersatu. Hajiii and senior leaders of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah were with Bersatu, led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at that time. Meanwhile, during a press conference later, Hajiji said he would be accompanying Anwar to Jakarta, Indonesia. He said both leaders would be discussing issues related to development and Sabah's long-standing maritime boundary claim involving Ambalat with the Indonesian government.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Political stability crucial for Sabah to match Sarawak's development
KOTA KINABALU: Political stability and leadership continuity are vital for Sabah to achieve development levels comparable to Sarawak, said Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) deputy president Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun. He highlighted that frequent changes in government have complicated efforts to resolve basic issues and sustain development. Since 1963, Sabah has had 16 chief ministers, while Sarawak has had only six premiers and chief ministers. Masidi stressed that Sabah must adopt Sarawak's mindset, where political stability and development efforts are prioritised. 'Compared to Sarawak, Sabah's problem is the frequently changing governments. This itself shows how politically unstable things are,' he told reporters after officiating the 2025 Gagasan Rakyat Women's, Youth and Beliawanis Wings Conferences. A key factor in maintaining stability, according to Masidi, is having a local party fully backed by the people, similar to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). He urged Sabahans to think and decide freely, emphasising that egoistic attitudes in politics remain a major obstacle. 'If we continue to hold on to the attitude of 'I must win, others must lose', the people of Sabah will never be united,' he warned. Masidi cautioned that Sabah's abundant resources would remain underutilised without unity and hard work from leaders and citizens. 'We need to consider the greater interest, to develop the state together,' he added. - Bernama
Barnama
5 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Political Stability Key In Developing Sabah On Par With Sarawak
KOTA KINABALU, July 26 (Bernama) -- Political stability and continuity of leadership are key to enable Sabah to achieve a level of development on par with Sarawak, Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) deputy president Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said. He pointed out that the political instability plaguing the state, which has 16 chief ministers compared to six premiers and chief ministers in Sarawak since 1963, has complicated efforts to resolve basic issues and the continued development of the state. The Sabah Finance Minister said the state had to emulate the thinking and attitude of Sarawakians who prioritised political stability and continued development efforts to ensure the state could progress into the future. bootstrap slideshow "Compared to Sarawak, Sabah's problem is the frequently changing governments. This itself shows how politically unstable (things are),' he told reporters after officiating the 2025 Gagasan Rakyat Women's, Youth and Beliawanis Wings Conferences here today. He said an important factor in maintaining political stability was to have a local party fully supported by the people, like Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), adding that Sabahans should be allowed to think and decide freely. Egoistic attitudes in politics were still the main obstacle to political stability and cooperation between parties in Sabah, as every party wanted to win and not many wanted to really work hard, Masidi added. bootstrap slideshow "If we continue to hold on to the attitude of ' I must win, others must lose', the people of Sabah will never be united ever. We need to consider the greater interest, to develop the state together,' he stressed. He also cautioned that the wealth of resources owned by Sabah would never be fully used without unity and the willingness of leaders and the people to work hard. -- BERNAMA
The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Any electoral pact must be led by Sabahans, says Masidi at Gagasan Rakyat's AGM
KOTA KINABALU: Any electoral alliance for the upcoming state election must be led by Sabahans, says Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun. Speaking on the second day of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat)'s annual general meeting on Saturday (July 26), the party's deputy president stressed that any electoral cooperation must not be steered by outside forces, as the priority should be to safeguard the interests and welfare of Sabahans. 'We want allies on our own terms. We don't want to be dictated to by others,' he said in his address at the opening of the party's Youth, Wanita and Beliawanis annual assembly in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday. His speech, delivered at the launch of the party's three wings, is seen as setting the tone for the dominant party position on electoral pacts for the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. Echoing the party's slogan 'Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga,' the Masidi, who is also GRS secretary-general, said development in Sabah should be based on local priorities. 'We want Sabah to progress according to its own development model, not because someone else tells us to do it one way or another. That's not acceptable to us. We want Sabahans to take charge,' he told more than 1,000 delegates from the party's wings. He pushed on the importance of local leadership in realising Sabahans' aspirations, warning against ceding control to external players. 'What will happen to all the Sabahans? What will happen to our local aspirations, the very foundation of Sabah? Can Sabahans still call the shots? We must fight for ourselves,' he said, urging Sabahans to stay in control of their future. 'We want to remain Sabahans with our own mindset. That's why we focus on local parties, to liberate our thinking. Sabah First," he said. Masidi said Sabah's progress had been hindered by excessive politicking, with the state having gone through 16 chief ministers since gaining independence through Malaysia in 1963, compared to only six in Sarawak, which enjoyed greater political stability. 'Our problem is there's too much ego among leaders. Everyone wants to win, everyone wants to lead, but few want to do the actual work,' he said, adding that the zero-sum game mindset, where the winner takes all, makes unity difficult to achieve.
Borneo Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Masidi: Political stability key to realising Sabah's devt potential
Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun KOTA KINABALU (July 26): Political stability and continuity are essential if Sabah is to fully realise its development potential, said Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Deputy President Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun. Speaking after officiating the joint opening of Gagasan Rakyat's Women, Youth, and Beliawanis wings' annual general convention at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here today, Masidi said Sabah must move past political ego and instability to adopt a more mature, cohesive approach ahead of the 17th State Election. 'This is our need, to defend the achievements of the government that have been made so far,' he said. 'We often compare Sabah to Sarawak. But if we want to be like Sarawak, we must have the mindset and attitude of the Sarawakian people. Prioritise political stability. Prioritise continuity in the efforts that have been initiated,' he said. 'The problem with Sabah is that our government changes too often. We can see this clearly, while Sarawak is currently only on its sixth Premier, Sabah has already had 16 Chief Ministers. 'And when governments change too often, we lose time, time that should have been spent focusing on, first, solving Sabah's basic issues; and second, on continuing development,' said Masidi. Masidi, a seasoned political leader and long-serving Cabinet minister, said the core message he wanted to convey was one of unity, love for the state, and a return to the founding values expressed in Sabah's state anthem, 'Sabah Tanah Airku'. 'That anthem reflects the foundation, objectives, and vision of Sabah as expressed by our earlier leaders and that vision is still relevant today,' he said. When asked if now was the right time for all component parties to unite and focus on victory in the upcoming state election, Masidi responded firmly: 'Exactly.' 'Sometimes, the issue is that there's too much ego in our political system. Everyone wants to win, but not many actually want to work and dirty their hands,' he said. He warned that Sabah's political culture must move away from the zero-sum mentality where one side's gain is automatically another's loss. 'Sabah politics should not be a zero-sum game. When one wins, everyone wins; when one loses, everyone loses. If we maintain this 'I must win and others must lose' attitude, Sabahans will never unite. We need to collaborate and look at the broader interest and continue to develop Sabah. We have great potential and abundant resources. But what we lack is the will to unite and the willingness to work hard,' he opined. Asked whether Sabahans should rally under a single local party, as is the case in Sarawak, Masidi acknowledged it was an important issue. 'But for me, it's not just about the party. It is about the mindset behind each leader,' he said. Quoting the state anthem again, Masidi pointed to the line 'merdeka sepanjang masa' not just physical independence, but also independence of thought. 'We must not be controlled by outsiders. I hope that our mindset is one that is formed by Sabahans themselves, not one shaped by outsiders,' he stressed. On the proposal to limit the Chief Minister's term to two terms, Masidi welcomed the suggestion and revealed that the Cabinet had already discussed it. Masidi said the idea was mooted as early as last year but lacked the necessary two-thirds support in the State Legislative Assembly to be tabled formally. 'We were not fully ready. Still, we all agreed that based on past experiences, two terms is probably the ideal length for a Chief Minister's tenure,' he said. When asked if there had been discussions with the opposition to secure the needed support, Masidi confirmed that informal talks took place, but no firm commitments had emerged. 'And again, this is part of the problem. We focus too much on politics for the sake of politics, not on politics that delivers prosperity,' he said. development masidi manjun Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah political stability
