KOTA KINABALU, July 30 — Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has defended his recent announcement for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to work with Pakatan Harapan (PH), clarifying that the decision was made following discussions with component party leaders.
However, he said a GRS Supreme Council meeting is still pending, but claimed that GRS component party presidents had already been consulted on the direction of the coalition’s cooperation with PH at the federal and state levels.
“We have already discussed in GRS, all the party presidents,” he said when asked to comment on speculation that he made the pact announcement without broader coalition consensus.
“Don’t listen too much to political talk in Sabah,” he said when speaking to reporters today.
Hajiji is facing some pushback from within the eight-component coalition, many of whom had made it clear their preference to contest the state election on its own, without national party interference.
He has been consistent in his desire for the current GRS-PH government partnership to continue into the election, but many within the coalition would rather the state be fully-run by a local-based party.
Responding to strong calls from the grassroots at the Parti Bersatu Sabah and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku convention, Hajiji said that the matter would be discussed by the GRS Supreme Council.
Asked when the council would convene to formalise the matter, Hajiji replied, “I will call them later,” without giving a specific date.
