Star threatens to quit GRS over pact with PH

LocalPolitics
1 Oct 2025 • 5:42 PM MYT
Daily Express
Daily Express

Daily Express Online (Malaysia) is Sabah's top-ranked & most viewed English news site. It is also Sabah's leading & most circulated daily English newspaper.

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PETALING JAYA: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) is threatening to leave Gabungan Rakyat Sabah if the ruling state coalition goes ahead with its electoral pact with Pakatan Harapan for the upcoming state election.

Star president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan (pic) said he will meet the eight-party GRS presidential council tonight (Wednesday) to discuss the matter, The Star reported.

“The way I look at it, when I met the chief minister (Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor) a few days ago, they had already decided (on a GRS-PH pact). So, if they have decided, the presidential meeting will be just an endorsement (of the pact) now.

“But, if at the last minute, he (Hajiji) says, ‘Okay, we listen to the people, we go solo’, then I go along with it,” he was quoted as saying.

Kitingan’s shift in tone comes two months after he dismissed speculation that Star would leave GRS following a viral TikTok clip suggesting the possibility if GRS were forced to work with Barisan Nasional and PH.

However, Hajiji later announced that his coalition and PH will form an alliance for the state election.

Kitingan, who is a deputy chief minister, said he had originally proposed that PH contest only its seven incumbent seats, using the GRS logo.

He said that while the GRS Supreme Council initially approved 15 of 73 state seats for PH, the coalition may now be allocated 21 to 23. - FMT