'Love is pleasant and sorrowful,' Anwar says amid bid to avert BN-GRS clash

Love has its ups and downs, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim quipped today, when asked to comment on the "love triangle" between Pakatan Harapan, BN, and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalitions.

The PKR president conceded that it would be difficult for BN and GRS to work together following their fallout.

“Love. Love is pleasant. Sometimes, there is a little sorrow. But that is the meaning of love,” he said.

Despite the animosity between the two partners, Anwar hopes to avert electoral clashes between BN and GRS in the upcoming Sabah state election.

He said the priority was to avoid three-cornered fights that could split the government bloc and confuse Sabah voters.

“Our understanding is that, for now, we are trying to secure an arrangement where there are no three-cornered fights.

“But in case it has to happen, our advice is that we will probably try to refrain from entering this battle to avoid creating too much division.

"I don’t want to pre-empt that because our intention is to ensure full understanding. In some areas where there is conflict, I’m sure there is,” he told reporters after meeting the PKR leadership in Kota Kinabalu on Sunday.

The rift between Sabah BN and GRS dates back to January 2023, when Sabah Umno withdrew its support for Chief Minister Hajiji Noor’s government.

BN was the first to confirm an alliance with Harapan in Sabah for the state election, while GRS only confirmed its intention to work with Anwar's coalition last week.

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