A committee will be established to facilitate discussions among the component parties of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) on matters concerning the 17th Sabah State Election, says GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Hajiji, who is also the Sabah Chief Minister, said that the committee, chaired by GRS secretary-general Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, who is also Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) deputy president, will also engage with other parties within the Sabah government, particularly Pakatan Harapan (PH).
As the president of Gagasan Rakyat, Hajiji said that while initial discussions were being held with allies in the state government, GRS remained open to dialogues with other parties if it benefited Sabah and its people.
“Our focus is first on discussions with our partners within the state government,” he told reporters after chairing the Gagasan Rakyat Supreme Council Meeting here today.
When asked about seat allocation among GRS component parties and their allies for the 17th State Election, Hajiji said no specific date had been set for these discussions.
GRS comprises 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), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS).
Speaking about today’s meeting, Hajiji said it was part of preparations for the party’s Annual General Assembly, which would take place over three days starting this Friday (Nov 8) with an expected attendance of more than 6,000 delegates and observers.
The assembly will focus on the president’s policy speech and include discussions on various issues such as economic and educational topics raised by delegates.
Additionally, Hajiji highlighted that Gagasan Rakyat currently has 6,977 branches with 304,817 members who will be mobilised to serve the people.
“This is the party that we are mobilising to serve the people, especially in anticipation of the upcoming elections. All GRS component parties are preparing for the election, which is expected to be held by October next year,” he added.