GABUNGAN Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Barisan Nasional (BN) have entered the final stages of negotiations to select candidates for the 2022 general election and the Bugaya state by-election, GRS chairman Hajiji Noor said.

The Sabah chief minister said those picked would be winnable candidates who are well-accepted by the people and could serve them well.

“GRS and BN will always give their cooperation and support to whoever is selected to be a candidate,” he told reporters after officiating at the convocation ceremony of Yayasan Sabah College of Technology in Kota Kinabalu today.

The Election Commission today fixed polling day for November 19, nomination for November 5 and early voting for November 15.

The Bugaya by-election will be held at the same time. The Bugaya seat fell vacant after the death of its assemblyman Manis Muka Mohd Darah on November 17, 2020 but the by-election was postponed following the proclamation of an emergency to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

On October 6, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah consented to lifting six ordinances and emergency proclamations which were declared in November and December 2020 to postpone the Batu Sapi and Gerik parliamentary by-elections and the Bugaya state by-election.

Hajiji said cooperation between GRS and BN in administering Sabah was important for stability and to implement programmes and initiatives under the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya plan for the people.

“I have told the leadership at the federal level not to disturb us in Sabah. We hold to this understanding and promise because we have three more years to rule,” he added. – Bernama, October 20, 2022.