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SABAH caretaker Chief Minister and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has not ruled out the possibility of overlapping seats between GRS and its federal ally Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the upcoming state election, though he remains hopeful that any such conflicts will be minimal.
Hajiji, who is also President of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat), said that while “minor clashes” might occur, both coalitions are working closely to ensure smooth coordination.
“I think it won’t be much (of an overlap); we are still in cooperation with PH. If there’s a little collision here and there, that’s fine.
“The list of candidates has been finalised — it’s just a matter of announcement now,” he told reporters after presenting the SMJ 4.0 Fellowship certificates to 42 young participants at Menara Kinabalu on Monday.
He also took a swipe at a few individuals who had lobbied to become candidates but chose to leave their parties after not being selected.
“It’s up to the party president or the GRS chairman to decide who the right candidates are. We didn’t expel them — they left on their own. Some people only think about becoming candidates. When they don’t get selected, they walk away.
“How can they be leaders or fighters if that’s their attitude? They need to have quality. I also hope other parties will think carefully before taking them in,” Hajiji said.
When asked about the timeline for announcing candidates and unveiling the coalition’s manifesto, Hajiji said both would be held close to nomination day.
“The manifesto will probably be launched after the nomination day — maybe a day or two later. As for the candidates, I expect to announce them around 11 or 12 November, about three or four days before nomination day,” he said. - November 3, 2025