KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has told its national coalition partner Perikatan Nasional not to contest the upcoming Sabah election.

SAPP president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee said that his party would contest under the local coalition grouping of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) which is currently in coalition with the Pakatan Harapan-led Federal Government.

He said SAPP was part of GRS and was formed under the auspices of its national chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announcing it during the 2020 Sabah election.

"I told GRS that in the state election, SAPP will contest under GRS," he said.

Speaking to reporters after the SAPP's Likas division annual general meeting here Monday (July 8), the former chief minister said that that the SAPP remained steadfast to its stand that the party was with the opposition Perikatan coalition at the national level while it remains with GRS at the state level.

"SAPP is a member of GRS. GRS was formed by Perikatan. We have not changed our stand. We don't have to choose," he said, adding that the formation of GRS was during the time Muhyiddin was prime minister.

The loose coalition of GRS together with Sabah Barisan Nasional and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) toppled the Parti Warisan-Pakatan-led state government of Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal in the September 2020 elections.

However, after the November 2022 parliamentary election, GRS assemblymen led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor abandoned Perikatan and switched allegiance to the Pakatan-led unity government of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

SAPP, however, did not follow the move to leave Perikatan and remained a member of the national opposition coalition. SAPP also kept with GRS at the state level.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/07/08/sapp-tells-perikatan-to-stay-out-of-sabah-election