KOTA BELUD: A direct contest between Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming 17th State Election would be the best approach to give voters complete authority in determining the mandate, said GRS Deputy Secretary-General Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
He said such a contest would eliminate any accusations that victory depends solely on the strength of particular parties within coalitions.
“I agree with Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (Sabah BN Chairman) that GRS and BN should face off in the coming state election. By leaving it to the people, whoever wins will no longer face accusations that Party A won because of Party B’s strength, and there will be no more allegations of betrayal,” Armizan told reporters.
He said this after officiating the Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Tempasuk Division Annual General Meeting at the Dewan Al Arsad in Kampung Kaguraan on Saturday, when asked about Bung’s statement that BN-GRS cooperation would only be considered after the state election.
The Papar MP said Bung’s stance should be respected without undermining his position as Sabah Umno Chief.
“Everyone should fulfil Bung’s wishes and no one at any level should go against his position as the autonomous Sabah Umno Liaison Chief,” he said.
However, Armizan clarified that his views were personal and did not officially represent GRS.
He noted that the current State Government functions well through existing cooperation arrangements, but grassroots GRS leaders and supporters prefer to contest against BN.
Regarding current GRS policy, Armizan said the coalition remains open to continuing cooperation with core parties forming the state government - GRS and Pakatan Harapan (PH).
He praised PH’s prioritisation of stability by rejecting attempts to topple the State Government and supporting Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s continued leadership as Chief Minister.
Armizan said the Federal Unity Government cooperation should not be seen as an obstacle to State-level contests, noting that the Federal memorandum of understanding does not mandate extending cooperation to state level and inter-party contests within the Federal Government have occurred before in Sabah, Melaka and Johor.
“The question of cooperation should not become a prolonged polemic. The people need to be given the widest space to evaluate and make their choice,” he said.
