KOTA KINABALU: Leaders and members of the Sabah chapter of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia who left the party last December have officially become members of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat).

Chief Minister and ex-Sabah Bersatu chief Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor officially took over the helm of the local political outfit following the party’s extraordinary general meeting, during which he also announced the supreme council line-up.

Hajiji, who is also Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman, said with this move, all members now had a political platform that was 100% local to continue with their struggle for the people and the state.

“The two main characteristics of Gagasan Rakyat that attracted my colleagues and I are that it is a multi-racial party symbolising inclusivity and it is a party representing the voice of Sabahans and with it, the local struggle.

“These are also the factors that convinced partners in GRS to accept Gagasan Rakyat as their latest component partner.

“They (GRS component parties) have also long expressed their wish for GRS to be a local platform in the real sense – that is for all the partners to be local parties. Now, we are 100% local,” he said, adding that more details would be given on Gagasan Rakyat’s direction at its launch on March 2.

Other parties in GRS are Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Sabah STAR, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and the United Sabah National Organisation (Usno).

The Sulaman assemblyman said this in a statement issued after the closed-door Gagasan Rakyat EGM, attended by over 150 members, at the Sabah International Convention Centre here yesterday.

The move to join Gagasan Rakyat was long speculated but gained momentum after Hajiji led a mass exodus of Sabah Bersatu assemblymen and leaders from the party on Dec 10.

On Jan 29, Hajiji announced that Gagasan Rakyat would be the new political vehicle for former Sabah Bersatu members, adding that the party was also admitted into GRS, the state’s ruling coalition, on Dec 9.

On the takeover of Gagasan Rakyat, Hajiji said the party’s agenda was in line with the four pillars of GRS’ struggle – Sabah First, Sabah Forward, Sabah Prosper and Sabah United.

“Being a local party does not mean we reject the national agenda nor put behind national interests. Malaysia is our homeland.

“Nonetheless, the original goal of Malaysia’s formation was to bring progress to the people and Sabah.

“We chose and decided that a local formula has the capability to galvanise the state’s interest and struggle in the Federation of Malaysia,” said the Chief Minister.

The state, Hajiji added, wanted a more valuable and meaningful implementation of the federalism system based on the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

“For this reason, we will work with any quarters that accept and put Sabah’s interest first.

“What is more important for us is to get the recognition and the implementation of the rights, powers and special position of Sabah as enshrined in the highest law of the country which is the Federal Constitution, and the law which gave birth to the Federation of Malaysia which is MA63. There is no Malaysia without the MA63,” he noted.

Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, who used to be Hajiji’s number two previously in Sabah Bersatu, is now the Gagasan Rakyat deputy president. The vice-presidents are Datuk Mohd Arifin Arif, Datuk Rubin Balang and Datuk Masiung Banah. Datuk Mohd Razali Razi was named the secretary-general while Stephan Jacob Jimbangan, Gagasan Rakyat’s previous immediate president, was made the deputy secretary-general.

Gagasan Rakyat will now set up the party’s organisation structure in all 73 state constituencies, including the formation of the party’s Wanita, Youth and Beliawanis wings.

Annual general meetings for branches and divisions are scheduled for July and September, which will culminate in the annual congress in November.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/02/06/ex-bersatu-members-join-gagasan-rakyat