KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is more compatible with the state Pakatan Harapan as compared to other peninsula-based parties.
The coalition's information chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said people are more confident about a tie-up between GRS and PH ahead of the state election.
He said during the Kinabalu Move in January last year when Umno assemblymen tried to topple the government, the Sabah PH, which was in the opposition then, had chosen to support GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to continue helming the state.
"The decision of Sabah PH to support Hajiji as Chief Minister was due to the former's concern that the momentum in Sabah's development would be disrupted by unstable politics due to attempts by some quarters to topple the existing government.
"GRS is very comfortable with Sabah PH and others. GRS will focus on the effort to realise the Sabah Maju Jaya agenda in developing and uniting people in the state," Joniston said in a statement today.
The Kiulu assemblyman, was commenting on the intention of Parti Pejuang and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) to work with GRS in the upcoming state elections.
Pejuang president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir had expressed this intention when he come to Sabah on Saturday for the party's Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.
Bersatu leaders, including its president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also shared similar sentiments when they attended their party's convention in Sabah yesterday.
Joniston said GRS treated these comment as endorsement towards the coalition's sincerity and efforts in leading the Sabah government.
In a separate statement, Parti Solidariti Tanahairku (Star), a GRS component, urged Pejuang to focus on its political struggle in the peninsula and leave Sabah in the hands of local parties.
Its vice-president Datuk Kenny Chua said Sabah wants to be governed by local parties, which is similar to what is happening in Sarawak.
"Sabahans have made it clear that we want to be like our Borneo neighbours, Sarawak, which is ruled by local parties.
"Some people may argue that there's no difference between having local or Malaya (peninsula) parties to govern our region. All I can say is look at Sarawak today and see how strong and progressive they have become.
"On the contrary, Sabah used to be called a fixed deposit state to a ruling federal government coalition. This sad era effectively ended in 2018. Obviously Sabahans have learned our lesson."
Chua said the state will continue to enjoy progress as long as Sabahans managed their state's affairs without external interference or outside political collaborations.
"Like what our Chief Minister had said : 'Sabah is our home, and we take care of it ourselves'."