KUDAT, Oct 18 — All component parties of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) must prioritise the interests of Sabah and the coalition over personal or individual party interests, in order to strengthen the state’s bargaining power at the federal level, said its chairman, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

The Chief Minister of Sabah said the state’s political leverage in negotiations at the federal level must be anchored in the internal cohesion of GRS, rather than being undermined by power struggles for positions or political egos.

“There is no point in praising the unity of others if we are still bickering within the GRS fold itself; for the true strength of Sabah begins with our own unity.

“No (component) party is so large that it no longer needs its partners, and no party is so small that its contributions can be dismissed,” he said while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 GRS Convention at Dewan Tun Mustapha here today.

Also present were GRS deputy chairmen Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, Tan Sri Anifah Aman, Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah, Datuk Ewon Benedick, and Datuk Chin Su Phin, as well as GRS secretary-general Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.

Hajiji also expressed his appreciation to the grassroots members who sacrificed their time, energy, and personal funds to campaign during elections, while reminding leaders not to forget their contributions once they have attained power.

He noted that the decision by certain parties to leave the coalition and go it alone should serve as a lesson one that helps mature the decision-making process and strengthens the foundational principles upon which GRS was established in 2020, all for the sake of the state’s stability.

He emphasised that merely being a local-based party is not enough to win the confidence of voters if the government fails to address the people’s daily challenges or provide economic opportunities.

“The people want a stable government, one that does more than just talk well, it must be capable of solving problems. We might win the battle of speeches on stage, yet still fail to win the hearts of the people,” he said. — Bernama