Kitingan Formulating New Gbs Pact To Take On Grs

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A new political bloc is taking shape under the working title “Gerakan Bersatu Sabah” (GBS), formed by former Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) parties Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star).
Star president Jeffrey Kitingan said he has been in talks with several local-based party leaders keen on joining the new bloc, with plans to formalise GBS days before nomination day on Nov 15 for the upcoming Sabah polls.
There are also plans for the group to contest in all 73 seats, meaning it will clash with former allies GRS.
The bloc is expected to remain an ad hoc alliance for now, with Star and SAPP as its core components.
ADSBoth parties parted ways from GRS early this month after Star and SAPP decided to contest under their own logos.
They had also opposed the GRS decision to grant wide concessions to its federal ally Pakatan Harapan in seat negotiations for the state election.
Wooing KDM
Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) is one of the key parties that Kitingan (above) is courting.
The incumbent Keningau MP said he had spoken to KDM deputy president Wetrom Bahanda about the party joining GBS, but remained doubtful given KDM’s earlier announcement that it would contest 38 seats.
“I’m not sure whether they will be part of GBS. I noticed they have announced so many candidates, and I may not be able to work with that.
“Yet, we’ve had positive discussions, but it’s yet to be finalised,” Kitingan said when contacted.
If KDM joins, he added, seat negotiations would have to be revisited to avoid overlaps with other component parties.
At this stage, Star is seen as the strongest outfit within the new bloc, having won six seats in the previous state election.
SAPP has yet to win any seats for decades, and its last elected representative was an MP in 2013.
KDM, led by acting president Priscella Peter following Peter Anthony’s imprisonment, remains a rising force after capturing the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat through Wetrom in 2022.
KDM also had two state seats, Melalap and Bandau, after incumbents Anthony and Wetrom defected from Warisan and Bersatu, respectively.
KDM deputy president Wetrom BahandaADSOther prospective partners Kitingan has engaged are smaller, lesser-known parties with an aim at shaping a Kadazandusun Murut dominant bloc.
“I have met several party leaders, like Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri’s Henrynus Amin, the National Unity Organisation of Sabah (Perpaduan), KDM, and also some parties from Sarawak that want to play a supporting role,” Kitingan said.
Goal to form state govt
Previously, the caretaker deputy chief minister had already launched the Justice for Sabah movement under the Sabah for Sabahan group that is aimed, among others, to consolidate the Kadazandusun Murut support in Sabah, through the idea of struggle for state rights.
Despite being an underdog, Kitingan said GBS aspires to form the next Sabah government.
If it fails to secure a majority, he said, the bloc would prioritise forming alliances with local parties that secure significant representation.
“To me, we give priorities to all local parties. And of course, if we have enough to form the government, we form the government,” he added.
Asked about his former allies, Kitingan ruled out returning to GRS but said he would be open to cooperation if Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) chose to leave the coalition.
“The Huguan Siou (PBS founding president), (his older brother) Joseph Pairin Kitingan, is hoping that PBS and Star can go together,” he said.
Priorising Sabah’s entitlement
The younger Kitingan stressed that Sabah would need to install a strong chief minister to lead negotiations with Putrajaya, especially after the High Court’s landmark ruling on the state’s 40 percent revenue entitlement.
The Kota Kinabalu High Court on Oct 17 ruled that the federal and state governments must review and settle arrears within 180 days, describing it as a correction of nearly five decades of unfulfilled constitutional obligation - the so-called “lost years” from 1974 to 2021.
“This will be our guiding principle,” he said, explaining that GBS would use its influence as a potential power broker to ensure firm state leadership.
“If the federal government decides not to appeal the 40 percent high court ruling, we need to install a strong chief minister to negotiate.
“Otherwise, if we go back to negotiate with weak leadership, then you end up being disadvantaged,” he added.
Sabah will head to the polls on Nov 29 with early voting set for Nov 25. - Mkini

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