Bung wants Sabah administration known as GRS-BN govt

 

Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Bung Moktar Radin says Sabah Umno will discuss with its allies in GRS soon on whether they will work together in the coming general election. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Bung Moktar Radin believes the state government should be named the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-BN administration.

Bung, who is also deputy chief minister, said he had proposed the name, albeit unofficially, to the GRS leadership to reflect the actual parties representing the ruling state government.

Although BN is not part of the officially registered GRS, he said they were nonetheless supportive of the GRS government as well as part of the political pact that won the last state elections.

“It’s not fair if BN is not mentioned as part of the government.

“We are backing the GRS leadership in administering the state,” he told reporters during an event here today.

To a question, he said Sabah Umno cannot be part of other officially registered political alliances besides BN. Hence, they are formally not part of GRS.

Chief minister and GRS pro tem chairman Hajiji Noor had previously announced that only four parties were part of the newly registered political coalition.

They are Bersatu, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

Before its registration, GRS comprised Perikatan Nasional, BN and PBS. These were the same parties that worked together under a loose pact and defeated the then Warisan-plus state government in the Sabah polls in 2020.

Hajiji said the absence of Umno and its BN counterparts in the officially registered GRS will not derail its plans of ensuring political stability in the state.

Meanwhile, Bung said Sabah Umno will discuss with its allies in GRS soon on whether they will work together in the coming general polls, specifically in Sabah.

He said it was clear Umno and Bersatu could not cooperate with one another.

“We will speak to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi this Monday to get his view on how we should chart our course,” he said.

On the possibility of BN partnering with Warisan ahead of GE15, Bung said anything was possible.

“We are open (to working with Warisan) but the priority is with GRS,” he said.

Warisan president Shafie Apdal had previously said the party was keeping its options open on political alliances ahead of the next general election.

Shafie said this included working with GRS and BN, if necessary. - FMT