PGRS CHOOSES INCLUSIVITY, REJECTS POLITICS OF HATRED FOR SABAH'S FUTURE

By Syed Iylia Hariz Al-Qadri Syed Izman

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) continues to strengthen its position as one of the main pillars in the state's political landscape, supported by experienced leadership and a vision that emphasises inclusivity and the unification of the people, said its secretary-general Datuk Mohamed Razali Razi.

He said the strength of PGRS, which is now 12 years old, lies in its leadership composition consisting of experienced political figures including party president who is also Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor as well as Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.

"We are a party that brings new life to Sabah's political approach, you have to look into the composition of the party members, seasoned politicians and experience. The party is lined up with experienced, matured politicians," he told Bernama.

Razali said the PGRS membership, which includes various ethnicities including Malays, Kadazans, Chinese and others, made inclusivity the core of the party's struggle.

“We should all come under one roof, regardless of your race, regardless of your religion, let us work together for the betterment of Sabah as a Sabahan is actually a true Malaysian,” he said.

Regarding the party's mission in this Sabah state election, Razali said PGRS is focused on continuing the development agenda through the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) and SMJ 2.0 roadmap, as well as not wanting to get caught up in political rhetoric or a culture of hate politics.

“We are not just talking, we actually walk the talk. We are working, everybody’s talking about what’s good for Sabah, we have Sabah Maju Jaya, our roadmap and then we will continue with SMJ 2.0,” he said.

Razali also rejected claims that PGRS was acting as a ‘big brother’ in Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), instead insisting that cooperation in the coalition was built on consensus and complementarity.

“No such issues as big brother in PGRS. We learn from experience, once you have that culture, people will run away. So we emphasise on inclusivity. It’s based on consensus, we complement each other. Insya-Allah we will do well in our common objective,” he said.

He described PGRS’s cooperation with the federal government under the administration of the MADANI Government as not an issue, although it was questioned by the opposing party which carried the slogan ‘Sabah for Sabahans’.

“The opposition really takes that as a point to shoot us but we also have to look at it, we are true Sabahans. One, you're being Sabahan at the same time you must be a true Malaysian. I don't see that as an issue to us, but we have to address it well,” he said.

Regarding the total of 35 seats contested by PGRS in this election, Razali said it reflected the party’s confidence in the people’s support.

PGRS is a local party established in 2013 by Dr Ationg Tituh with Stephen Jimbangan as the party's first president.

The Election Commission (EC) has set Nov 29 as polling day while Nov 25 is early voting day.

For the latest Sabah election news, please visit https://prn.bernama.com/sabah/index.php

-- BERNAMA