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THE launch of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) manifesto for the 17th Sabah state election has drawn an encouraging response from voters who view it as a comprehensive roadmap for the state’s direction over the next five years.
The manifesto’s wide-ranging commitments—spanning political stability, new economic growth sectors, job creation, administrative transformation and Sabah’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63)—have resonated across multiple segments of society.
Among Sabah’s entrepreneurs, particularly Bumiputera business owners, the manifesto is seen as strengthening market confidence and enhancing the investment climate, especially in emerging high-impact sectors.
Marsya @ Norhaizah Abu Bakar, 44, said political stability remains the decisive precondition for safeguarding Sabah’s economic momentum. She welcomed GRS’s plans to unlock new economic capacity, particularly within the Blue Economy framework.
“From my perspective as a Bumiputera entrepreneur, businesses flourish and the economy grows when Sabah enjoys political stability, especially with GRS highlighting the Blue Economy, which indirectly brings a positive impact to us as Sabah entrepreneurs,” she told Buletin TV3.
Human capital development is another area that has caught public attention, particularly the manifesto’s commitment to boosting technical and vocational training for a more competitive workforce under the state’s TVET initiatives.
TVET lecturer Amsar Ekong, 54, said the manifesto must give clearer priority to the employability of skills-based graduates to meet the demands of Sabah’s evolving industries.
“Every year we produce many trainees, and it is hoped that through this manifesto, GRS can ensure they are truly absorbed into industry. The GRS plan must continue to provide space for industry collaboration so that TVET graduates are not sidelined,” he said.
From the perspective of governance and transparency, trader Tahirah Awang, 34, highlighted the relevance of proposals to strengthen the state government’s data systems, including the establishment of a Sabah Future Generations Investment Fund.
“It must involve consultations with all parties—from conglomerates to village communities—whose views should be considered so that all government spending reaches the people directly,” she said.
Younger Sabahans, meanwhile, view the manifesto as an avenue to elevate new leaders. The provision to limit the Chief Minister’s tenure to two terms has been especially well received.
Student Ahmad Iman Danish Mohammad Azmi, 22, said the measure opens the political arena to more youthful voices. “With the two-term limit for the Chief Minister’s post, it increases the potential and opportunities for young people to become leaders and ensures our voices are heard,” he said.
Across the state, Sabahans are expressing optimism that the manifesto—covering economic modernisation, administrative reform, infrastructure strengthening, social security and youth opportunity—will serve as a credible pathway towards a more stable and progressive future.
The GRS manifesto, unveiled by Chief Minister and coalition chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, outlines a governing vision anchored on a single overarching aspiration, four guiding pillars and 16 strategic priorities aimed at shaping Sabah’s development trajectory over the next five years. - November 19, 2025
