Sabah Umno chief Datuk Bung Moktar Radin today confirmed that most party divisions do not want to see cooperation with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah. 

“Based on our ground reports, a majority of our divisions reject cooperation with GRS,” Bung Moktar confirmed Monday. 

His comments follow reports that 22 of Sabah Umno’s 25 divisions have turned down an alliance with the coalition led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

But that’s not all. Bung Moktar also shot down claims that he attended any meetings with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim about a proposed electoral pact between GRS and Pakatan Harapan.

“I have not attended any such discussions,” he stated.

Sabah Umno, Bung Moktar stressed, is open to working with Pakatan Harapan and local parties—just not GRS. 

His deputy, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan, however, has been pushing for a different strategy, advocating collaboration with Hajiji’s coalition.

That’s where things get interesting. Anwar is reportedly trying to forge an electoral agreement between the key players in the federal unity government, dividing Sabah’s 73 state seats. 

Meanwhile, not everyone in GRS is on board with a pact either. Some of Hajiji’s closest allies—including Sabah STAR’s Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, SAPP’s Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, and Usno’s Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia—want GRS to go it alone. – February 10, 2025