KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah has rejected any form of collaboration with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), claiming that the negotiations presented were unfair and disrespectful to the party’s dignity.
Sabah UMNO Information Chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir, said that this decision is difficult to accept as BN had previously worked together to establish the state government, but it is necessary to protect the party’s interests.
“Of the 14 seats that the people entrusted to BN in the last State Election, only eight have been offered again.
“Even more heartbreaking, some GRS leaders have claimed that this number is already too much for BN. That is not a negotiation; it is an insult,” he said in a statement today.
He noted that the seats originally won by BN, including Tanjung Keramat, Pantai Dalit, Sugut, Sindumin, and Tempasuk, have been ‘seized’ through political defection, which tarnishes democracy in Sabah.
He also emphasized that GRS is not a party that emerged from the people’s mandate, but rather came into existence following political changes at the federal level.
“In reality, GRS has never contested under its own name, but relies on elected representatives who defect for power,” he said.
Suhaimi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Libaran, added that while BN may not be perfect, its record of development and service to the people cannot be denied, including the construction of schools, hospitals, roads, and educational opportunities.
He further stated that GRS is currently facing various issues, including land scandals, forest concessions, luxury jets, and illegal licenses.
“A government born from betrayal is only waiting for the right moment to collapse,” he remarked.
“It is better for BN to lose power temporarily than to coexist with traitors who only know how to stab repeatedly,” he said.
