Hajiji urges GRS parties to put Sabah first, warns against ego and power struggles

KUDAT, October 18 — The chairman of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, urged all component parties to prioritize the interests of Sabah and the coalition above individual and personal pursuits. This stance aims to bolster the state's negotiating power at the federal level by emphasizing internal cohesion, rather than allowing power struggles or egos to undermine it.

"We cannot simply boast about others' unity while our own GRS remains divided," he cautioned during his keynote address at the 2026 GRS Convention. Other GRS leaders, including deputy chairmen Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Masidi Manjun, Anifah Aman, Liew Yun Fah, Ewon Benedick, and Chin Su Phin, as well as the GRS secretary-general Armizan Mohd Ali, attended the event.

Hajiji also commended grassroots members for their sacrifices in campaigning but cautioned leaders against neglecting their contributions upon gaining power. He pointed out that leaving the coalition should serve as a valuable lesson for the decision-making process and the strengthening of GRS’s principles established in 2020. The chairman emphasized that merely being a locally-based party is insufficient to gain voter confidence without addressing daily challenges and creating economic opportunities. "A stable government capable of solving problems is what the people truly desire," he concluded.