Kota Kinabalu: Caretaker Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor dismissed the possibility of a “free for all” in the coming 17th Sabah election, insisting that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) remain on good terms.
“I don’t think it will come to that (a free for all). Both coalitions are still working together,” he said after officiating the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Fellowship appointment programme at Menara Kinabalu, Monday.
Hajiji acknowledged that minor overlaps in seat contests may occur but described such as normal and unlikely to affect the coalition’s overall cohesion.
On Saturday, GRS Secretary-General Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun hinted that the parties might eventually contest on a free-for-all basis if seat-sharing deals are not respected.
Masidi said GRS would honour its seat-sharing deal with the four-party PH and expects it to be reciprocated.
He was commenting on the agreement after premature announcements that PH component, Upko, might field candidates who could clash in several seats, namely LImbahau, Kiulu and Tamparuli.
Hajiji also said the GRS candidate list has been finalised and will likely be announced on Nov 11 or 12.
The nomination day for the state election is Nov 15.
“Everything has been completed; only the announcement is left,” he said, reminding members to refrain from excessive lobbying and to accept the leadership’s decisions gracefully.
Addressing claims of internal friction, Hajiji stressed that GRS’s cooperation with PH remains strong and that the coalition is focused on ensuring electoral victory rather than personal ambition.
He said it was common for party members to feel disappointed if they were not selected as candidates, but urged them to stay loyal to the party and its struggles.
“To be a leader, you must have that quality. Don’t sulk just because you weren’t fielded.
“Other parties should also be careful about accepting those who leave just because they weren’t selected,” Hajiji said.
He said the coalition’s election manifesto will be unveiled shortly after the announcement of its candidates.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister declined to comment on Finance Ministry Treasury Secretary-General Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican’s statement denying that the
Federal Government was siphoning Sabah’s natural resources or neglecting the State’s development and the well-being of its people.
Berita Harian quoted Johan as saying that federal expenditure for Sabah in 2026 is estimated to reach RM17 billion, far higher than the Federal Government’s annual revenue collection from the State, which is around RM10 billion (See separate report].
On Oct 17, the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruled, among other things, that the Federal and Sabah governments must conduct a review of the Sabah Special Grant from 1974 to 2022.
The ruling followed a judicial review filed by the Sabah Law Society (SLS) in 2022, which alleged that the Federal Government had breached the Federal Constitution by failing to carry out the mandatory revenue review every five years since 1974.
