Hajiji, who is also the president of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, however, expressed hope that such overlaps do not happen, given the two coalitions’ decision to tie up for the state polls, Sinar Harian reported.
“I think it’s unlikely (to happen). We’re still working with PH. A little overlap here and there is fine,” he told reporters after presenting appointment letters to 42 participants under the SMJ Fellowship 4.0 programme at Menara Kinabalu today.
Hajiji also took a jab at certain individuals lobbying to be candidates, saying some ended up leaving the party after failing to secure a nomination. He did not name who he was referring to.
“It’s up to the party president or the GRS chairman to decide who deserves to be a candidate,” he said. “We didn’t expel them, they chose to leave. Those who didn’t get to be candidates probably joined only for that purpose. Once they failed, they left.
“So, how can they call themselves leaders or fighters? Leaders must have quality. You can’t sulk and quit just because you weren’t chosen. I hope other parties think twice before accepting such people,” he said.
Yesterday, GRS deputy secretary-general Armizan Mohd Ali, said the decision of several members to support other parties, including Warisan, should be viewed as part of a “cleansing process” within the coalition.
The Papar MP said Warisan had often accused GRS of being a “party of defectors”, but recent political developments showed that party-hopping was also taking place in other blocs, and even being celebrated.
Pitas PGRS deputy chief Harun Ismail, Pantai Manis information chief Amri Abu Bakar, and Tanjung Kapur Liberal Democratic Party chief Peter Chin recently joined Warisan ahead of the state election on Nov 29.
Asked about the announcement of candidates and the launch of GRS’s manifesto, Hajiji said both events would take place closer to nomination day on Nov 15.
“We may launch the manifesto a day or two after nomination day. As for the candidate announcement, it will be quite close to that, probably around Nov 11 or Nov 12,” he said.