GRS drops Bersatu as member, Hajiji remains as chairperson - Ongkili

Bersatu has been dropped as a component of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, said the coalition's deputy chairperson Maximus Ongkili.

However, Ongkili (above) said Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor has been retained as GRS chairperson.

"As GRS deputy chairperson, I chaired a supreme council meeting on Dec 9.

"The meeting retained Hajiji as GRS chairperson and dropped Bersatu's status as a GRS coalition partner," said Ongkili in a statement.

Ongkili said this in response to Bersatu vice-president Ronald Kiandee's statement yesterday that Hajiji no longer has any legitimacy to remain as GRS chairperson and rendered the memorandum of agreement signed with Pakatan Harapan as invalid.

Ronald also said Bersatu has nothing to do with the agreement signed between partner coalitions in government.

Further, Ongkili said participation in the government is based on a commitment towards stability and to building the nation.

"Ronald or his party has nothing to do with the government's agreement, as his party (Bersatu) has rejected its main principles and vision," said Ongkili.

Ronald was appointed as Sabah Bersatu chief on Dec 11 after Hajiji and four other Sabah Bersatu MPs, as well as assemblypersons, announced their exits from the party.

The four MPs had contested in the 15th general election on a GRS ticket, contrary to Ronald who was fielded on a Perikatan Nasional ticket.

Following that, there were disputes arising from claims that the four MPs - Armizan Ali (Papar), Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Jonathan Yasin (Ranau), and Matbali Musah (Sipitang) - had gone against the anti-hopping law.

The four, however, claimed that they had joined GRS - registered as a political party although it functioned as a coalition - prior to GE15.

On Friday, GRS along with Harapan, BN, GPS, and Warisan signed a memorandum of agreement as part of the present government, ahead of a vote of confidence for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament tomorrow.

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