Kota Kinabalu: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Secretary-General Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) to be realistic in its seat demands ahead of the coming state election, saying that both coalitions must work towards strengthening — not weakening — their partnership.
Masidi said it was the practical solution since both sides draw support from the same voter base.
“I mean, to me, it’s common sense. If GRS is weakened, ultimately our partner PH will also be weakened, isn’t it? Because we are drawing votes from the same vote bank,” he said.
“So that’s why I’m saying I think both sides have massive reasonable expectations. The whole idea is to make sure that we have the maximum number of votes from both PH and GRS,” said Masidi, who is finance minister.
When asked whether GRS will give in to PH’s demands reported to be around 22 to 23 seats, Masidi said that seat negotiations are still going on but insisted relations were amicable.
“We already started it. So far it’s been very good,” he said, adding that they will make the candidate announcement before nomination day.
When asked if he expected straight fights or overlapping contests, Masidi said he was optimistic that clashes between both partners would be avoided.
“I don’t think so. I mean, so far, I was at the talks and we seem to be saying the same thing. At the end of the day, it’s about winning — not about who gets what.
“Of course, numbers are also important as far as Sabah is concerned, because it shows that PH values GRS as much as GRS values PH as a partner,” he said.
It has been reported that PH wants 22 to 23 seats out of the 73 state seats in Sabah. Of that, PKR wants 12 to 13 while the remaining be divided between Upko and DAP.
The GRS-PH state government has committed to a pact while PH has a separate pact with state opposition BN.
The Karanaan incumbent said they were not concerned about PH’s negotiations with BN.
Separately, on the controversy surrounding the serving of alcohol at a Tourism and Culture ministry global tourism event, Masidi said that he hoped it would not become an issue in Sabah.
“Obviously, in Sabah, probably it’s not an issue in the sense that we have a different setting and cultural mix here,” he said.
He said Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing had apologised and people should accept it and move on from the issue.
