ZAHID: BN-GRS COOPERATION IN FORMING NEW SABAH GOVT DRIVEN BY NEED FOR POLITICAL STABILITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in forming the new Sabah government is rooted in the shared goal of ensuring political stability for the state’s continued development and prosperity, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

He said the formation of the state administration, which also includes five Independent assemblymen and several other parties, reflects the political reality that circumstances have changed since the state election.

“Cabinet appointments are fully the prerogative of the Chief Minister (Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor) with the consent of the Sabah Governor (Tun Musa Aman). We know GRS alone does not have enough seats to form the government. They currently have 29 seats, while BN holds six.

“Although BN and GRS did not contest the election together, the post-election landscape has shifted. In Putrajaya, we have a Unity Government. In that same spirit of stability, BN and GRS agreed to form a unity government in Sabah, along with five Independent assemblymen who are originally from GRS and other parties,” he told reporters after officiating the Cyberjaya Conversations Summit 2025 here today.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also BN chairman, said this in response to reports that 12 GRS assemblymen were unhappy with the decision to bring Sabah BN into the new state government following the 17th state polls last Saturday.

He also cautioned against arrogance or rigidity in assessing political decisions, stressing that cooperation is essential to ensure stable governance.

“Appointments have been made. This is a political reality. Do not allow arrogance to cloud judgment, because politics is pragmatic, and we must accept that stability is vital for the well-being of the people of Sabah,” he said.

In the 17th Sabah state election, GRS won 29 of the 73 seats, followed by Parti Warisan (25), BN (six), Independents (five), UPKO (three), STAR (two) and one seat each for Perikatan Nasional, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat and Pakatan Harapan (PH).

Early Sunday morning, Hajiji was sworn in as the 17th Chief Minister. On Monday, 10 assemblymen took their oaths as members of the state Cabinet before Tun Musa at Istana Seri Kinabalu.

The new Sabah Cabinet comprises seven GRS assemblymen and one each from UPKO, PH and BN.

-- BERNAMA