Sabah Umno shows faith in PBS, believes it won't leave GRS

Sabah Umno has dismissed speculation that its ally in Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), PBS, is going to leave the state ruling coalition to be with opposition party Warisan.

State Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin, who regarded the speculation as baseless hearsay, said he believes PBS would not betray the mandate given to the party by the people who voted in GRS in last year's state election.

"I do not have much information on this claim that Warisan and PBS are allegedly planning to form a new state government.

"However, to me, this issue has no basis. Because I do not see PBS willing to betray the GRS state government that we formed together after winning the recent state election," Bung Moktar told Malaysiakini on Monday.

Malaysiakini contacted Bung Moktar, who is Sabah deputy chief minister, for his comments following speculation that PBS is planning to exit GRS to form a new alliance with Warisan, which led the previous state administration.

Talk of PBS pulling out of GRS was fuelled after PBS and Parti Warisan Sabah made overtures to each other.

Last Tuesday (May 11), Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal said his party would like to work with PBS if given the opportunity.

A day later, PBS president Maximus Ongkili declared that his party was open to cooperation with Sabah-based parties.

Asked if there is an internal rift in GRS especially between PBS and Star, which have been known to be arch enemies before GRS was formed, Bung Moktar did not deny that there are such issues in the coalition.

However, according to the Kinabatangan MP, the problem is not serious enough to lead to an exit.

"Speaking about being dissatisfied, I think all parties in GRS and their members are not satisfied.

"But I don't think that it would lead to such an extent to cause a break of the GRS state government," he said.

GRS was formed only last year as Sabah was going into a fresh state poll, as a bid to bring down the Warisan-led coalition which had formed the state government after the 14th general election in 2018.

The coalition saw BN and Perikatan Nasional component parties agreeing to come together under one banner to achieve their common goal.

However, GRS saw a rough start in its shaky relationship, when its member parties fielded candidates against one another in 15 state seats.

Meanwhile, a source close to the top Warisan leadership also dismissed that there was a plan to form an alliance with PBS.

"There is no such plan. Warisan only wants to focus on the next general election.

"We are not interested to get involved in another party-hopping saga and such to form a state government," the source declared. - Mkini

✍ Credit given to the original owner of this post : ☕ Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH

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