A Gabungan Rakyat Sabah leader has cautioned that winning over grassroots supporters will pose the biggest challenge to extending the coalition’s cooperation with Barisan Nasional into the next general election.
Lingering rivalry from state polls
GRS Youth chief Jonnybone Kurum said it would be hard to explain the need for such a pact to party members on the ground. The two coalitions had been fierce competitors in the Sabah state election held on Nov 29.
He pointed out that some loyal supporters of Parti Bersatu Sabah and Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah continue to question BN’s inclusion in the state administration.
Explaining the necessity of alliance
“We have told them that the alliance was necessary to form the state government and maintain stability, despite everything that happened after the previous state election,” he told FMT.
“So if we want to extend this political pact to GE16, this is the challenge we face: getting GRS supporters to understand the need for such a pact.”
Prioritising Sabah’s future
Jonnybone, the Telupid assemblyman, stressed that the interests of Sabahans must always come before the feelings of certain groups.
“We need to move on. Politics is about the future, not past grudges,” he added.
GRS played a key role in helping BN retain the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state seats during last month’s by-elections. This success prompted newly elected Kinabatangan MP Kurniawan Naim Moktar to call for a broader alliance.
Naim credited the backing from GRS and Pakatan Harapan during the campaign for his 14,214-vote majority over his Warisan opponent.
BN had clashed with GRS in the November state election but later cooperated when GRS chairman Hajiji Noor formed the state government. BN recorded its weakest performance in Sabah, securing only six seats.
Analysts have noted that BN’s seven parliamentary seats in Sabah could be at risk in GE16 without a formal pact with GRS.
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