Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secretary-general Joniston Bangkuai, who is also the GRS information chief, said formalising GRS would be the best move to make the ruling state coalition even stronger.

“We have full confidence in the chief minister, as the GRS chairman, and other party leaders reaching this conclusion,” he told reporters after an event in the northern Pitas district today.

“It will be good for us to emulate GPS in Sarawak.”

Bangkuai said GRS had proven itself to be popular among Sabahans and the parties within the coalition also enjoyed close ties with each other.

Asked if the issue of registering the coalition had been discussed among the parties involved, the state tourism, culture and environment assistant minister said they had only held informal talks so far.

“Many of the leaders agree that there are benefits to registering the coalition and I believe this will be looked into soon.”

Yesterday, former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak, who is also the GRS treasurer, called for the coalition to be officially registered to put it on a strong footing ahead of the next general election (GE15).

Following that, deputy chief minister Jeffrey Kitingan, who is also the GRS deputy chairman, speculated that the coalition had yet to be registered because not every party was keen on the idea.

Kitingan, the Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president, said his party was previously tasked with the registration and had made efforts to do so since last year but had “hit a brick wall” so far.

GRS comprises Perikatan Nasional (Bersatu, PAS, STAR, SAPP and Gerakan), Barisan Nasional (Umno, PBRS, MCA and MIC) and PBS.