KOTA KINABALU: A Gagasan Rakyat leader has taken to task Sabah BN information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir over his remarks about GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) being a liability as a partner in the upcoming state election.
“What he said is preposterous and disparaging. Do you think the ruling GRS wants to collaborate with BN in the upcoming election? BN is a liability, not GRS.
“The BN influence in Sabah is diminishing and the decline seems unstoppable. And so, do not speak as if the BN is great and will return to dominate Sabah politics.
“Dream on Datuk Suhaimi,” quips Gagasan Rakyat Tandek Chief Datuk Dr Janathan Kandok.
He says it is hopelessly naive of Suhaimi to think that GRS, which is increasingly gaining the people’s trust and support, will be a liability in a political partnership.
Dr Janathan was responding to Suhaimi who was recently reported as saying that joining forces with GRS would drag BN into issues currently affecting the state ruling coalition.
“If we join forces, we will also get entangled in issues of corruption, governance problems, and all sorts of lies.
“If we unite, they will become our liability. During the campaign, are we expected to protect those with problems?
“The people are already angry over water, electricity and road issues. How are we supposed to respond?,” Suhaimi was quoted telling Utusan Malaysia.
Dr Janathan says that Suhaimi is out of touch with the political reality in Sabah.
“The BN era is gone and buried. It is a desperate idea to try to come back to taste power again.
“Sabah’s political landscape has changed in significant ways after GRS with the support of PH elected representatives gained political control,” he points out.
According to him, the GRS leadership had made the right decision to continue the alliance with Pakatan Harapan (PH) led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
And, he also enthuses that GRS will do well in the election “and you can take that to the bank”.
Meanwhile, Dr Janathan says the GRS-led government has done well to grow Sabah’s economy.
One of the key achievements had been the significant rise in Sabah’s GDP – from RM83.2 billion in 2023 to RM84.3 billion last year as announced by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor recently.
And, state revenue collection for three consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024) hit almost RM7 billion compared to only RM3.59 billion in 2020.
“All these are indicators of a healthy economy,” Dr Janathan says.
