KOTA KINABALU, April 23 — Controversial former Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia has pulled his United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) party out of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, citing “differing directions” and a growing lack of alignment in governance.

Correspondingly, Pandikar also resigned as GRS deputy chairman and from all related government positions.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page last night, the party pointed to a growing lack of alignment in policy, particularly following the 17th Sabah state election in November last year, as the primary reason for its departure.

“Usno has also taken the position to remain as a political party rooted in the struggle of Sabah’s indigenous communities and will remain committed to playing a check-and-balance role,” the statement read.

The decision was formally conveyed to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor on April 21 and unanimously endorsed by the party’s Supreme Executive Council a day later.

Minimal impact

The development is not expected to destabilise the ruling coalition, as Usno holds no seats in the state assembly.

Pandikar himself failed to win the Pintasan seat in the November 2025 state election, while his wife, Puan Sri Diana Diego, was unsuccessful in Sekong.

Pandikar’s candidacy in Pintasan had been a point of contention, as GRS controversially dropped the incumbent, Datuk Fairuz Renddan, to make way for him.

Pandikar ultimately lost to Fairuz by a margin of 1,070 votes.

He later filed an election petition alleging corrupt practices, but the case was dismissed by the court in March this year.

Prior to his resignation, Pandikar held the post of Sabah’s special envoy for the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asian Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

He was also last known to hold the chairmanship of Innovision Limited, a forestry company owned by Yayasan Sabah.