GABUNGAN Rakyat Sabah (GRS) should be given sufficient space to consider admitting local parties into the coalition, chairman Hajiji Mohd Noor said.

Its chairman Hajiji Mohd Noor said GRS was scrutinising the matter before deciding whether to accept the parties concerned into the fold.

“We have a plan in place in GRS, on the sharing of opportunities, but we will not simply (admit any party),” he told reporters after officiating at the 2022 Sabah Cocoa Festival in Kota Kinabalu today.

Hajiji, who is also Sabah chief minister, said GRS also had its own way of uniting local parties in Sabah to ensure all could sit at the same table to develop the state.

Yesterday, Upko vice-president Ewon Benedick questioned GRS’ “talk” of wanting to unite all local political parties in Sabah, but then did not accept membership of the Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat, Parti Cinta Sabah and Liberal Democratic Party.

GRS comprises Sabah Bersatu, Parti Bersatu Sabah, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, Sabah Progressive Party and United Sabah National Organisation, which collaborates with Barisan Nasional to govern Sabah. – Bernama, June 19, 2022.