Kota Kinabalu: Analysts believe an understanding inked between the parties in Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) could be a game changer in state politics, signalling their intention of standing up to pressure from the peninsula.
Sabah UiTM lecturer Tony Paridi Bagang said the agreement signalled the parties’ intentions of moving away from old-style politics of bowing to pressure from across the South China Sea.
“It is the time to prove that Sabah, under GRS, has its own ‘autonomy’ to handle our local politics. I believe the memorandum of understanding is the point of departure for GRS to be politically autonomous in state politics, it’s a potential game changer,” he said.
“Moreover, Sabah Umno has been granted autonomy (from the national party) and it’s time to prove that it really enjoys such autonomous power,” he said.
The agreement was signed on Saturday by coalition leaders to express their respective parties’ desires to continue the alliance and reject any external attempts that threaten the existence of the coalition.
Sabah PPBM Chief Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is GRS Chairman, was asked how the PPBM-Umno tussle in the peninsula will affect GRS.
He said the GRS leaders were in agreement that they can’t be influenced by political movements elsewhere, particularly in Peninsular Malaysia.
He said Sabah had its own politics to contend with and could not afford to be swayed by developments outside the State.
“No matter what happens in the peninsula, we (GRS) will remain strongly intact here in Sabah,” he said.
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak deputy dean Arnold Puyok said GRS is attempting to be like Gabungan Parti Sarawak, a solid bloc made up of Sarawak-based parties.
“I think they are moving in that direction – to solidify GRS as an entity similar to GPS,” he said.
Puyok said this could stabilise the political situation in Sabah, although the difference was that GPS comprises all local-based parties as opposed to GRS which is also made up of the local chapters of peninsula-based outfits like Umno and PPBM.
“But only by keeping themselves together can they continue to lead Sabah. Remember, GRS formed the Government with support from Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional and PBS. They can’t afford to lose the State Government to Warisan should there be a change of government at the federal level – Warisan has more seats than any one of them.
“Also, probably this is a way for Datuk Seri Bung (Moktar Radin) and Sabah Umno to tell the party and its President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that they have autonomy and it is up to Sabah Umno leaders to do what is best for the party here,” Puyok said.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Romzi Ationg said while things were still uncertain between Umno and PPBM nationally, the matter should not affect developments in Sabah if there were no issues between GRS parties themselves.
However, he said GRS still appeared to be a fragile political cooperation despite the MoU.
“But I hope that all state leaders, especially Hajiji and Bung, focus more on running the state administration efficiently rather than on political issues.
“We cannot afford to have another conflict which may lead to another state election…Covid-19 is real and we must work together to deal with it.
“Let the political drama at federal level stay there and cause no impact in Sabah,” Romzi said.
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