GRS dismisses change of Sabah govt amid Warisan-PBS overtures

Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), the ruling coalition in Sabah comprising Perikatan Nasional (PN), BN, and PBS, has dismissed speculation that its government may collapse.

This was amid tensions between PBS and Star, a component party in PN.

The PBS-Star dynamic is similar to that of Umno-Bersatu where Star is being favoured by virtue of its membership in PN, which is the dominant force in the Sabah government.

PN comprises Bersatu, PAS, Star, Gerakan, and SAPP.

Both PBS and Star have the Kazadan, Dusun, and Murut (KDM) communities as their support base.

The speculation of PBS pulling out was fuelled after PBS and Parti Warisan Sabah made overtures to each other.

Last Tuesday (May 11), Warisan president Shafie Apdal (above) said his party would like to work with PBS if given the opportunity.

A day later, PBS president Maximus Ongkili declared that his party was open to cooperation with any Sabah-based parties.

"Therefore, we take note of the political gesture by Warisan president Shafie Apdal to cooperate and work together for the good of all Sabahans," Ongkili said in a statement.

He also stressed that PBS has a good working relationship with Bersatu and hopes its ruling coalition allies will view Warisan's gesture positively.

However, that did not stop the fuelling of speculation of a possible tie-up between PBS and Warisan plus its allies.

This has forced some PBS leaders to publicly dismiss the speculations.

PBS secretary-general Joniston Bangkuai said claims that Shafie will return as the Sabah chief minister with PBS' support was mere "idle chatter".

"There is nothing to deny because there is no truth to it," he was quoted as saying by The Star.

GRS controls 48 out of 78 seats in the Sabah state assembly, including six appointed seats. It also has the support of two independent assemblypersons.

Meanwhile, GRS can still maintain a thin majority if all seven PBS assemblypersons pull out to join the 30 opposition assemblypersons from Warisan, DAP, PKR, and Upko.

However, the speculation suggests that Umno, which has 16 seats, may also pull out.

Umno, which had coveted the Sabah chief minister position, was forced to make way to Bersatu's Hajiji Noor despite winning more seats in last September's state election.

However, Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin, who was given the deputy chief minister position, has a cordial relationship with Bersatu. 

He had publicly voiced out against the friction between Bersatu and Umno at the federal level.

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