Sabah-based Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57) also said the state’s ruling coalition was being continuously attacked by Umno, the BN lynchpin.

“Compounding matters is that Bung still heads Sabah Umno. Hence, a concrete decision in terms of seat negotiations between GRS and BN will be difficult to achieve,” G57 chairman Zulkarnain Mahdar said in a statement.

He said a clash between GRS and BN at the 17th state election would be hard to avoid.

However, clashes between the coalitions should be perceived as “friendly competition” as they are part of the same team at the federal level.

He was commenting on the agreement between Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim and his BN counterpart Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for the coalitions to work together in facing the Sabah state election.

Top Sabah PH leaders have described the central leadership decision as a rational move, given the nature of the coalition’s relationship at the federal level.

Two years ago, Bung failed to overthrow Hajiji in a coup later dubbed the “Kinabalu Move”.

Last month, an analyst told FMT that an electoral pact in Sabah between BN and PH for the impending state election would be tricky, chiefly due to the presence of Bung.

James Chin of Tasmania University said the Sabah BN chairman represented the “biggest problem” for the proposed alliance.