Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said that under Hajiji Noor’s leadership, GRS has maintained its identity as a coalition built on local parties fighting for Sabah’s interests.
Lee said GRS has functioned based on collective decision-making rather than the dominance of any single member.
He believed this will be continued if it is returned to power in the upcoming state election.
“The sentiment and struggle of local parties within GRS is not affected (by the withdrawal of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku and the Sabah Progressive Party) because its strength lies in the collective cooperation of Sabah’s local parties.
“We should also look at how many seats Pakatan Harapan is contesting. There is no need to worry if GRS still commands the majority,” he told FMT.
He was commenting on concerns that GRS’s strength as a local coalition might be weakened by the departure of STAR and SAPP, and its collaboration with PH.
GRS secretary-general Masidi Manjun said PH had been offered 18 of the 73 seats up for grabs in the state election, though PH was understood to be seeking 23.
The dispute over seat allocations for PH was among the reasons STAR and SAPP left GRS last Wednesday to contest solo in the coming election.
GRS now comprises Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS), Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), the United Sabah National Organisation, Liberal Democratic Party, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, and Parti Cinta Sabah.
Borneo Geo-Politics & Electoral Studies (GeoPES) researcher Syahrudin Awang Ahmad said GRS’s remaining component parties are still strong enough to balance out any sentiment in the run-up to the polls through their individual roles and strengths.
He noted that Hajiji’s PGRS, the largest party in the coalition, has been driving the Sabah Maju Jaya development agenda, while PBS, the oldest party in the bloc, consistently defends state rights, including demands under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), as well as providing a strong base in Kadazandusun Murut areas.
“The other parties add diversity to widen support across ethnic and religious lines.
“GRS is now evolving into a more multiethnic and regionally grounded coalition, with its focus shifting from individual charisma to the institutional strength of local parties,” he said.