Bersatu dropped from GRS, Hajiji remains GRS chairman

KOTA KINABALU - Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) has been dropped as a member of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), but Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor remains as GRS chairman.

The matter was confirmed by GRS deputy chairman Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili in a statement on Sunday.

"I, as GRS deputy chairman, chaired a meeting of GRS Supreme Council members on Dec 9.

"During the meeting, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor was retained as GRS chairman and Bersatu's membership in GRS was dropped," he said.

He said participation in the Unity Government was based on the commitment to build a stable government for the sake of the people's well-being and the country's development.

Maximus said, referring to Sabah Bersatu leader Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee on Saturday that he or his party had nothing to do with the Unity Government Memorandum of Understanding, whose principles and goals had been rejected by his party.

Before that, Ronald who is also Bersatu vice president confirmed that Bersatu was the founding party of GRS where according to Clause 6.1 (ii) of the GRS Constitution, Bersatu was a valid member of the Coalition.

As the Bersatu Sabah Leadership Body head, he informed that his party as a member of the GRS Coalition Body was never involved in any discussions that decided that the GRS should enter a memorandum of understanding with other party coalitions to form a Federal Government led by Pakatan Harapan (PH).

He also asserted that Hajiji, who was appointed as GRS chairman in his capacity as the Bersatu Sabah Leadership Body head previously, no longer had the legitimacy to remain as GRS chairman due to his action of leaving Bersatu.