Sabah STAR pulls out of GRS over Pakatan electoral pact

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah STAR, the third biggest coalition partner in the eight party Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has pulled out of the local coalition over its move to forge an electoral pact with Pakatan Harapan.

Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan when contacted confirmed that he had informed the GRS presidential council meeting on Wednesday (Oct 1) that he was leaving the local coalition over its move to work with Pakatan.

“I attended the meeting. I have informed them that STAR was leaving.

“We have already left, we will make an announcement anytime today (Oct 2),” he said when asked about the position of Sabah STAR in GRS following Wednesday night’s presidential council meeting.

Another partner Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) led by former chief minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee is also expected to announce his party’s decision to quit as the GRS presidential council meeting endorsed the electoral pact with Pakatan.

The eight presidents of GRS led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor met over a dinner meeting to discuss the coalition’s electoral pact with Pakatan for the soon to be called state election.

Each leader was given a chance to air their views over the issue at the dinner meeting at the Chief Minister’s official residence Sri Gaya here that was held in a very cordial and amicable atmosphere.

Each president put their firm views on the issues, sources said.

Hajiji, who is Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah president, together with Usno president Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) acting president Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam and Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) did not object to the pact, according to sources.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk Chin Su Phin and Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah president Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah also agreed with the majority to support the pact but voiced their preference for GRS to go solo, sources said.

Both Kitingan and Yong insisted that the local coalition go solo and felt that Pakatan should only be given its seven incumbent seats if an electoral pact had to be made with the national coalition, the sources said.

The sources said that Hajiji had told the meeting that GRS wanted to allocate 18 of the 73 seats for Pakatan who is asking for 21 to 23 seats in the ongoing negotiations.

According to the sources, the presidential meeting did not put to vote the GRS-Pakatan pact but only discussed the matter in a civil way.

The sources said that Hajiji did not indicate or hint any date for the dissolution of the Sabah assembly whose five-year term expires on Nov 11.

Sabah STAR with six assemblymen has a strong sway in the non-Muslim native seats.

There has been no official statement from GRS.