SANDAKAN: Former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin denied that Perikatan Nasional (PN), the opposition coalition he heads, has lost relevance in Sabah, insisting that party members remain active and involved.
He also said PN has not finalised how many seats it will contest in the imminent 17th Sabah State Election (PRN17).
The PN Chairman and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) President said discussions are ongoing and decisions would be made jointly with Bersatu Vice President Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee, who is also Beluran MP.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“We are reviewing all constituencies, including the more than 70 seats expected to be contested after the State Assembly is dissolved,” he told a press conference after the Jelajah Rakyat 2025 “Kasi Bagus Sabah” programme in Karamunting on Friday.
He said PN is open to discussions with other parties, except Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS). “If there are groups interested in working together, we will take that into consideration. But no decisions have been made yet, as there is still time.”
Muhyiddin said any such cooperation is unlikely to involve GRS, accusing the coalition of having acted in bad faith during the previous election.
He said several seats held by GRS leaders were initially won under the PN banner before they shifted allegiance following the formation of the GRS-led state government.
“At that time, we suggested the name GRS when we were aligned. Later, they registered it as a political party. I had expected it to be a non-governmental organisation (NGO),” he said.
He questioned whether it would make sense for PN to cooperate again with a group that had gone on to register itself as a party without full disclosure.
Muhyiddin said public support for PN in Sabah remains, adding that the electorate can assess the current administration based on unresolved infrastructure issues, including water, electricity and roads.
He was accompanied by Kiandee, supreme council member Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, Srikandi chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and local representatives from Batu Sapi, Libaran and surrounding areas.
At the event, he received 800 membership forms from former PKR Batu Sapi branch members and representatives from PGRS Batu Sapi, who have joined Bersatu.
In his speech, he said elected representatives should remain consistent in their positions and not shift alliances after winning elections.
Ronald, meanwhile, said voters are fully aware of which parties have maintained their positions and which have changed direction after the last general election.