GRS information chief Joniston Bangkuai said it was Sabah BN’s right to decide who it wants to ally with in the state polls, adding that GRS will focus on the sentiments and wishes of Sabahans.

“GRS is focused on strengthening this coalition of local parties, considering the sentiments of the rakyat who want to see Sabah led by local parties. However, GRS will also work with other parties that are aligned with us.

“We must also remember how Sabah PH chose to ditch its cooperation with Warisan and support chief minister Hajiji Noor when Sabah Umno and Warisan tried to unseat the Hajiji-led Sabah government,” he told FMT.

Earlier, FMT quoted a source as saying BN and PH were expected to cooperate in the next Sabah elections, continuing the federal-level alliance established in 2022.

The source claimed they would go up against the Hajiji-led GRS despite the coalition being part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government, adding that the tie-up was likely to include Warisan and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat.

However, the source said there was some opposition to this alliance within PKR, particularly Sabah PH chairman Christina Liew, who preferred continuing the alliance established with GRS in January 2023.

Warisan and Umno failed to remove Hajiji as chief minister last year after retracting support for the GRS chairman. A handful of Umno assemblymen refused to toe the party line, leading to their suspensions, while Sabah PH agreed to back Hajiji as chief minister.

In return, several Sabah PH leaders were roped into Hajiji’s state Cabinet.