KOTA KINABALU, Aug 29 — Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), as the coalition leading the Sabah government, will take the lead in determining seat allocations with its government allies for the next general election, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Hajiji, who is also Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) president, said the coalition would eventually discuss the distribution of parliamentary seats with parties currently in the state government, including Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).
“GRS is the main coalition leading the state government, so we will discuss with our partners the distribution of seats to be contested,” he told reporters after chairing a PGRS political meeting here today.
He said, however, that formal negotiations had yet to begin.
Hajiji said the main consideration would be to field candidates capable of winning the election.
“We hope our friends in the government will be rational and we will field those who can win in the election,” he said.
The GRS coalition consists of six parties — PGRS, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (PHRS), Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) and most recently, United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO).
Hajiji said the party needed to start preparing for the general election now by strengthening its machinery at all levels and increasing its engagement with voters.
The remarks came as PGRS began restructuring its grassroots machinery along parliamentary constituencies, with the party today announcing 25 division chiefs following approval from the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
“As a party leading the government, we must be prepared from now and mobilise the party at all levels, including the wings, by going down to the grassroots and holding programmes,” he said.
He said the party would continue working on the ground despite the current parliamentary term only being expected to expire at the end of next year.
Among the 25 division chiefs appointed are Hajiji for Tuaran, state Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun for Ranau, state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif for Kimanis and state Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk James Ratib for Beluran.
Four of the appointments are new to the division chief line-up — Kota Marudu, Putatan, Semporna and Kalabakan.
PGRS said the restructuring was intended to strengthen its organisation at parliamentary and grassroots levels, expand membership and improve its ability to engage with voters.
Hajiji said those not appointed as division chiefs would still be given roles within the party, including as deputy or vice-heads and coordinators at state constituency level.
On Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM), Hajiji said the party was not part of GRS, although its elected representative for Paginatan had expressed support for the state government.
He said cooperation with parties currently in the state administration would continue, while discussions on the distribution of seats would be held with its partners when the time came.
The restructuring of PGRS divisions will now proceed with the appointment of party members and committees before their membership lists are submitted to ROS.
Date: 29 August, 2026 7:22 pm
Source: Malay Mail
💬 Join the Conversation! 💬
We’ve disabled comments on our posts and pages to keep the discussions organized and lively! But don’t worry – the conversation isn’t over. Head over to our forum and share your thoughts, ideas, and feedback with the community! It’s the perfect place to connect, learn, and engage with others who care about the same things. We can’t wait to hear from you!