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BARISAN Nasional (BN) will closely review a proposal to establish a “grand coalition” with Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ahead of the upcoming Sabah state election, its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after officiating the declaration of Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM) Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Kepala Batas, Zahid said any potential alliance would require careful coordination to avoid overlapping seat contests among the three coalitions.
“This includes addressing any differences between the three parties, particularly to ensure that the seats being contested do not clash with one another,” he said.
The statement follows remarks by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Tawau on Saturday, in which he emphasised the importance of cooperation between PH, BN and GRS in ensuring political stability at both national and state levels.
Anwar, who is also the PH chairman, noted that discussions between PH Sabah, BN Sabah and GRS are still ongoing and have yet to be finalised. Agreements reached so far have only involved PH and BN, without the inclusion of GRS.
Earlier, in a joint statement issued last week, Unity Government Secretariat chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed that PH and BN had reached consensus to collaborate for the state polls. - May 12, 2025