KOTA KINABALU: A Gagasan Rakyat leader has stressed the importance of close cooperation among all eight Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) component parties in facing the upcoming state election.
“With solid cooperation, GRS will do well in the election. And, victory will not be “a bolt from the blue” in that the GRS remains the best choice for the people of Sabah,” says Datuk Dr Janathan Kandok.
The Gagasan Rakyat Tandek chief, says since coming to power in 2020, the GRS-PH partnership had focused on fulfilling the people’s mandate.
He says Sabah is enjoying political and economic stability like never before under the direction of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.
GRS leaders, he adds, do not ‘sit on their hands’ when there are issues or problems that require urgent attention.
Dr Janathan also says “recent events” are unlikely to erode the people’s trust in the coalition government.
He however reckons that the opposition will continue to raise legacy issues such as water and electricity shortages although it has become public knowledge that the coalition had already taken action to deal with the problems.
“Don’t try to pin the blame on the government. Water and electricity problems did not surface only after GRS took over the helm of the government.
“These problems have been extant for decades but the GRS-PH government is doing its level best to bring about long-term solutions.
“This is the truth and it is a colossal waste of time for the opposition to continue arguing against the truth,” Dr Janathan points out.
He cites the 187-MW Ulu Padas Hydroelectric Project (UPHEP) as a major initiative of the government to resolve water and electricity shortages.
“This project is a testament to the government’s commitment to resolve Sabah’s long-standing water and power woes,” Dr Janathan says.
The UPHEP – expected to be completed by end of 2030 – is capable of generating an average of 1,052 gigawatt hours (GWh) of clean energy annually – hence increasing Sabah’s current dependable capacity by some 15 per cent.
And, it will also double the renewable energy (RE) mix, supporting the state’s goal of achieving approximately 35% RE share in its generation mix by 2035.
Meanwhile, Dr Janathan says he does not see any strong grounds for GRS to end the existing collaboration with PH in facing the election.
Many strongly feel that it is now the opportune time for Sabah affairs to be solely managed by local parties – emulating the Sarawak GPS’ all-local formula.
“But, having a good and reliable partner from outside Sabah does not mean that the desire to prioritise Sabah’s rights and needs cannot be fulfilled. In fact, PH may help strengthen the position of GRS,” Dr Janathan adds.
The Chief Minister had on a number of occasions stressed that the existing GRS-PH cooperation would be maintained.
And he was also quoted as saying that Sabah could not yet follow neighbouring Sarawak’s footsteps of forming a coalition with only local parties.
“In politics we must cooperate with our allies and that’s how we are in GRS now. We must work as one including collaborating with national parties in Sabah,” the Chief Minister added.
Dr Janathan also says it is heartening to note that acting Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president, Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam had reiterated recently they would continue to work within the GRS coalition.-pr/BNN
