(Test - VG) As polls loom, Anwar indicates he’ll continue to mend ties between Sabah BN, GRS
GRS and Sabah BN have decided not cooperate for the upcoming state polls.
Despite soured ties between Sabah BN and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim indicated that he will continue to mediate efforts to bring both coalitions under a single allied front for the upcoming state election.
The Pakatan Harapan chairperson also said his coalition would maintain its existing electoral pacts with BN and GRS, adding negotiations with the latter coalition chief Hajiji Noor were still ongoing.
“We are working with Pakatan Harapan and GRS. That is our stand,” he told reporters after attending an event at Kampung Kobuni, Inanam, Sabah today.
Anwar is scheduled to be in Sabah until tomorrow.
Harapan is currently in a bizarre situation where it is maintaining separate pacts with BN and GRS.
This comes as Sabah BN and GRS have publicly declared they will not cooperate with each other, which may lead to potential clashes in constituencies not contested by Harapan.
Presently, Harapan and BN have nearly finalised their seat-sharing arrangement, with BN eyeing between 44 and 45 seats and the remainder allocated to Harapan.
GRS, however, is pushing for 55 seats while Harapan is asking for 23, indicating there are still issues that require addressing.
The current five-year term of the 73-seat assembly ends on Nov 11, with Hajiji expected to call the polls before then.
Separately, Pakatan Harapan secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail also arrived in Sabah earlier today to discuss, among others, the coalition’s cooperation with GRS to face the upcoming Sabah election.
“We believe that any form of cooperation must prioritise and respect Sabahans’ voice, which would benefit the people and the state,” he said on Facebook today.
Special allocation for Sabah
During the event, Anwar pledged that Sabah will receive special allocations under Budget 2026 while reaffirming the state’s constitutional right to 40 percent of federal revenue.
“Sabah must not be neglected. In Budget 2026, I want there to be a special announcement for Sabah.
“We must improve schools, roads, and deal with floods, this is my commitment,” he told a crowd in Kampung Kobuni.
He stressed that development funds would not only be channelled to Kota Kinabalu but also to rural districts.
“It is not only Kota Kinabalu. Keningau, Tenom, Pitas, Nabawan — all must benefit. This is the meaning of justice for Sabah.”
The budget is expected to be tabled on Oct 10.
On the 40 percent revenue claim, Anwar said Sabah’s constitutional right cannot be denied but cautioned that the implementation must take into account Malaysia’s overall financial position.
“We cannot deny this right. The only issue is the mechanism, and the country’s financial capacity must be considered. But my commitment is clear: we will not reject this claim.”
Anwar also confirmed that the government was moving ahead with Sabah and Sarawak’s request for additional parliamentary seats, in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“Sabah and Sarawak must not be sidelined. The request for more parliamentary seats has been approved in principle, and we are working on the details with the Election Commission,” he said, recalling the recently concluded MA63 talks in Kuching, Sarawak.
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