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PAKATAN Harapan (PH) respects the decision by Barisan Nasional (BN) not to cooperate with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in the upcoming Sabah elections.
Prime Minister and PH Chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, however, said that PH will continue to negotiate with both parties to find points of cooperation.
"Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi informed me that the negotiations appear to be deadlocked.
"We pray that there will be a real agreement, but we respect BN's decision.
"We are not stuck, we cooperate with BN and we also discuss with GRS, we continue (negotiations), no matter what, we will negotiate ... find a solution," he said after the Temu Mesra Madani programme of the Federal Territory Mufti Department today.
Earlier, Anwar performed Friday prayers with more than 3,000 pilgrims at the mosque.
He arrived at 1.10pm wearing a light blue baju Melayu complete with songkok, before being welcomed by the mosque management and pilgrims who had arrived earlier.
Also welcoming him were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Mohd Na'im Mokhtar; Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail and Kuala Lumpur Police Chief, Datuk Fadil Marsus.
It was earlier reported that the declaration by BN was made in a closed-door meeting late last night in Kota Kinabalu.
The move quashed hopes of national coalition leaders from BN, PH and GRS to form an electoral cooperation in the forthcoming Sabah election.
“Umno and BN remain with PH in the existing coalition,” Zahid told reporters, adding that the decision had been endorsed by the Sabah Umno political bureau.
It also marked a quiet retreat from Zahid’s earlier suggestion that BN might be open to cooperation with others so long as it maintained a dominant role. - September 5, 2025