‘Unreasonable’: BN’s inclusion in Sabah state government sparks uproar among GRS coalition

According to local news platform Malaysiakini on Tuesday, 12 GRS assemblymen have allegedly privately said that the government coalition is now “compromised” following UMNO’s inclusion and that the “Sabah first” message has been diluted the moment national figures were placed in key portfolios.

Besides the 12, five independents – Maijol Mahap, Jordan Angin, Rina Jainal, Fairuz Renddan, and Awang Ahmad Sah Sahari, are also believed to be aligned with the disgruntled group. The five independents aligned themselves with the GRS pact following election night. 

They were reportedly voicing discontent online, through vague Facebook captions, WhatsApp status updates and forwarded screenshots. 

Without naming individuals, GRS deputy secretary-general Armizan Ali said that the coalition “will not be swayed by threats circulated through WhatsApp groups or indirect political messaging”, reported Malaysiakini. 

He also warned that such online agitation risks “undermining public confidence and destabilising a government that has only just begun its work”, dismissing claims that the inclusion of national party leaders had compromised the ‘Sabah first’ framework. 

In total, the Cabinet includes seven ministers from winning coalition GRS, with its component party Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) contributing two, while the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO), BN and PH each hold one portfolio. 

PH’s sole assemblyman Jamawi Jaafar, who won in the Melalap constituency, was sworn in as the state agriculture, fisheries and food industry minister while UPKO president Ewon Benedick was appointed the deputy chief minister III. Ewon will also helm the state Industry, Entrepreneurship and Transport Ministry.

According to the official results, the incumbent GRS coalition won 29 seats on Saturday, while its ally PH secured one seat through Anwar’s own Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

Warisan, a bitter rival of the GRS-PH bloc, came in second with 25 seats while BN won six out of the 45 seats it contested. 

The Gagasan youth wing on Monday said that the GRS Plus government had already secured a comfortable majority to form the state administration, with 29 seats from GRS, five independents, three from UPKO and one each from PH and KDM.

The legislative has 73 seats, making 37 a majority. 

It also said that the current composition of elected representatives without BN was strong, stable and sufficient to continue the state’s development agenda without requiring additional support from parties that had been rejected by the people, local media Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported. 

“Past experience should serve as a lesson. The political disruptions in 2023 also instigated by BN, must not be repeated as they undermined both political stability and public confidence,” the youth wing said in a statement.

“It is therefore unreasonable for it to now demand to be included in the government.”