Sapp Defers Response On Expulsion From Grs Pending Party Meet

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The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) will consult its leadership before issuing a formal response to its removal from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
GRS earlier announced the revocation of SAPP’s membership after the party indicated plans to contest the upcoming state election under its own logo.
SAPP, led by former chief minister Yong Teck Lee, is one of the founding partners of GRS alongside Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star), which also had its membership revoked.
When contacted, Yong (above) said he would await the party’s collective decision before commenting publicly.
“I would like to consult my party colleagues before I issue a statement tomorrow.
“Coincidentally, the SAPP supreme council has a scheduled meeting this Saturday,” he told Malaysiakini tonight.
The move against SAPP comes just as Star president Sabah Deputy Chief Minister I Jeffrey Kitingan confirmed his intention to quit the coalition, warning against conceding too many seats to Pakatan Harapan.
GRS has been the ruling bloc in Sabah since toppling the Warisan-led state government in 2020. However, fractures have widened in recent weeks, with local partners such as Star accusing GRS of bowing to federal allies in the run-up to the polls.
In a statement earlier, GRS secretary-general Masidi Manjun said the coalition has revoked Star’s and SAPP’s memberships.
Kitingan had also confirmed his party’s exit from the coalition, in a text message to Malaysiakini.
Masidi said it was an automatic termination following both parties’ decision to contest the upcoming state polls under their own party symbols.
He said that following an “open and sincere discussion” lasting nearly two hours yesterday, the meeting resolved that any component party choosing to field candidates under its own symbol would be considered exiting GRS.
As such, candidates from those parties would no longer represent GRS in the Sabah election. - Mkini

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