USNO president Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia has made no secret of his discontent over Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) working with Pakatan Harapan (PH), insisting that Sabah’s political autonomy must not be compromised.
Pandikar said he would rather be expelled from GRS than stay silent while the coalition, particularly chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s authority, was being undermined.
“If you want to remove me from GRS, go ahead. But don’t ask me to stay quiet when someone disrespects Hajiji,” he said in his speech in the Jelajah Usno in Kunak on Sunday.
Pandikar’s opposition to PH dates back to August 2024, when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim led “Reformasi” chants in front of Hajiji during a PKR convention at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
“I was furious. Not just angry—I felt it in my chest. At the PKR convention, Anwar stood right in front of Hajiji, shouting ‘Reformasi, Reformasi, Reformasi.’ What does that mean? He wants to strengthen PKR in Sabah. Maybe even take the Chief Minister’s post,” he said.
The veteran politician believes PH is positioning itself to expand in Sabah—and he wants no part of it.
“We already have a Chief Minister from a local party—GRS. So why are we allowing outsiders to dictate our direction?” he asked.
Following the PKR convention last year, Pandikar had insisted that GRS should contest independently in the state election but did not explain his motive.
Still, Hajiji officially conveyed to PH chairman Anwar that he was keen on electoral cooperation in the upcoming state election.
When illustrating his point, Pandikar pointed to Sabah’s gradual loss of political autonomy over the years.
He recalled how UMNO entered Sabah in the 1990s after multiple unsuccessful attempts to break Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).
“Do you remember? In five years, there were three elections, yet PBS still won. What did Kuala Lumpur do? They pushed for UMNO to enter Sabah. That is why UMNO came in,” he said.
He also cited former Berjaya Chief Minister Datuk Harris Salleh’s decision to hand over Labuan to the federal government, a move he claims has had lasting consequences.
“Then Datuk Harris handed over Labuan, hoping it would become a duty-free hub. But when the tax system changed, no one went to Labuan anymore.
“The prices of leather goods and perfumes on the mainland became the same as in Labuan. Who would want to go there? The barter trade was abolished,” he said.
Pandikar contrasted Sabah’s approach with Sarawak’s tighter control over its political and economic affairs.
“Sarawak never bowed to Kuala Lumpur. That’s why, even today, if you enter Sarawak, you still need a passport. Sabahans also needed one at one time. But we? We loosened our control,” he said. – February 9, 2025
