Parti Cinta Sabah accepted as GRS component party, says Masidi

KOTA KINABALU, May 22 — Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) has been accepted as a component party of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), GRS Secretary-General Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun announced today.

Masidi said that PCS, through its president Tan Sri Anifah Aman, officially applied to join GRS, and that all the presidents of the coalition's component parties unanimously accepted PCS.

"The inclusion of PCS, a local party, is a significant step towards strengthening the unity and political cohesion in Sabah. We believe that with closer cooperation, we can achieve our shared goals of developing Sabah towards greater prosperity and well-being," he said in a statement here.

The other GRS component parties are Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), United Sabah National Organisation (USNO), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (PHRS) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Masidi expressed his hope that the people of Sabah will give their full support to GRS, led by its chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is also the Sabah Chief Minister, in the party's efforts to build a brighter and more prosperous future for the state.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Anifah said the decision to join GRS was made because PCS is a local Sabah party that shares the same vision and mission as the coalition.

"Therefore, we see our home in GRS, which is a local political entity long envisioned by the people of Sabah. As a local political party, it is in the political DNA of PCS to fight for Sabah's rights and the best interests of the state and its people.

"For this reason, we (GRS and PCS) share the principle of 'Sabah First,' which is a dual-pronged approach prioritising Sabah's rights and interests and emphasising the various developments needed in Sabah," he said.

Expressing his gratitude to Hajiji and the presidents of the GRS component parties, Anifah assured that PCS will work hard to ensure GRS continues to strengthen its position as a political power bloc reflecting the identity of Sabah's people from all ethnicities and beliefs. — Bernama