TAWAU: Leaders of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) left their previous parties such as Umno–BN and Bersatu out of a commitment to build a government shaped by Sabah’s own identity, said Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah Information Chief Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan.
Speaking after officiating the Tawau Girl Guides Association House on Sunday, Nizam said GRS’s mission is to safeguard Sabah’s interests and ensure the state does not repeat past mistakes.
“The core of GRS’s struggle is to take care of our own home so that it remains well-protected,” he said, stressing that their efforts are not about protecting political careers, as claimed by others.
As a founding member, Nizam said GRS leaders are aware of their responsibility to uphold the spirit of “Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga” (Our Home, We Protect), inspired by the Sabah Tanah Airku principle.
He noted that the party’s mission has drawn interest from leaders of other parties who believe in defending Sabah’s future.
Regarding Sabah PH Chairman Datuk Ewon Benedick’s resignation as Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development, Nizam declined comment, leaving it to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
On the Girl Guides House, Nizam praised the determination of the organisation’s leadership, describing them as a **model of perseverance for other NGOs.
“Their hard work strengthens the organisation’s name and mission,” he said, also commending former representatives and local leaders in Tawau and Kalabakan who contributed to the project.
The Tawau Girl Guides House, built at a cost of RM156,000, received contributions over 18 years from 2005 to 2023 and is located on a site gazetted for the organisation since 1966 along Jalan Mawar.
The other Sarawak-based parties contesting in the Sabah Election are Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK), Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak (Parti Aspirasi) and Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).
In total, the three parties will field 21 candidates in the Sabah polls: PBK (11), Parti Aspirasi (9) and PBM (1).
PBK’s Sabah chapter, led by Soh Kee Suat, is fielding 11 candidates.
She said the party’s expansion into Sabah is part of a wider effort to strengthen Bornean voices on state rights and revenue entitlements.
PBM, led by Julau MP Larry Sng, will contest only one seat, Bandau, with Sabah PBM Chairman Jupperi Lenson as its candidate.
Sng said the party decided not to field more candidates to avoid being seen as anti-Pakatan Harapan, which it supports at the federal level.
