THE constitution of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has provisions allowing for direct membership for individuals and unions between parties, Armizan Mohd Ali said.

The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said he was one of those involved in drafting the coalition’s constitution.

He urged all parties to study the GRS constitution before commenting on the coalition and its elected representatives.

For instance, the Papar MP said, he is a direct member of GRS and contested and won on the coalition’s ticket in the recent general election but he has not made any announcement or decision regarding his status in Bersatu.

“We see various assumptions and speculations when Hajiji Noor (the former Sabah Bersatu chief) announced that Sabah Bersatu leaders will exit the party but still remain in GRS. In the coalition’s constitution, there is individual direct membership and party unions,” he said.

“Whoever is leaving Sabah Bersatu needs to be detailed, that decision by Sabah Bersatu’s leadership will be followed by official statements from those (individuals) who wish to state their stand on leaving Bersatu.”

Armizan was speaking at a press conference after meeting Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji at Menara Kinabalu in Kota Kinabalu today.

On Saturday, Hajiji, who is also GRS chairman, was reported to have said Sabah Bersatu leaders unanimously decided to leave the party but remain with GRS.

Armizan said the action was made on the basis of GRS’s support for the unity government, but that the central Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional (PN) leadership chose not to be part of the government.

“In the general election, we know no party or coalition managed to form the federal government on its own. At GRS’s level, we considered the election results but our decision is not the same as that of Bersatu and PN at the national level,” he said. – Bernama, December 12, 2022.