Kota Kinabalu: Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) is spreading its wings to Labuan, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is also the party’s President.
“The party’s Supreme Council agreed to set up a division in Labuan. We have already appointed Rosli Awang Damit as the Labuan Protem Division Chief and his committee members,” he said, after chairing the Supreme Council meeting at its headquarters in Alamesra, Friday.
This is the party’s 74th division as it has already opened 73 divisions in Sabah.
Hajiji was also proud to share that Gagasan Rakyat now has 300,000 members or about 10pc of the State’s population.
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Its economy suffered ever since due to flawed policies and is now represented by opposition Perikatan Nasional in parliament.
Gagasan Rakyat, a component of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) which Hajiji is the Chairman, was launched on March 2 this year.
The other GRS components are Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star), United Sabah National Organisation (Usno), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (PHRS) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
The annual general meeting for all 73 party divisions in Sabah would be from Sept 23 to Oct 15 this year and the party’s first general assembly will be held on Nov. 13 and 14 at Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
“We have already completed the meetings for branches throughout the State,” he said.
On Sabah Bersatu's recent statement that it will probably recapture Sabah, Hajiji said it is just their grandiose ambition but it is for the people of Sabah to decide.
“We are not threatened...if we look in terms of membership, the response of the people towards Gagasan Rakyat alone is incredible in Sabah.
“Imagine, we can get 300,000 members within several months after Gagasan Rakyat was launched.
“But it is natural for political parties to exaggerate but we let the people decide,” he said.
Hajiji said the leaders and people of Sabah were quite excited and happy with the King and Queen’s visit to Sabah. He said His Majesty was touched to be able to travel the Pan Borneo Highway from Tawau to Sipitang.
“Many times during His Majesty’s travels he was able to meet with the people and several matters were also presented to him and he will bring those matters directly to the Prime Minister for action.
“We are also quite happy because, for the first time, a King and Queen made such a journey that captured the hearts of people in Sabah.
“Indeed, it will help speed up development in Sabah because he is the Head of State. I remember His Majesty decreed he will discuss with the Prime Minister to take action,” he said.
The royals were in Sabah for the Kembara Kenali Borneo from Sept 3-7, before proceeding to Brunei Friday and Sarawak.
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