Gabungan Rakyat Sabah

On 12 September 2020, Hajiji Noor established an informal alliance, the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to compete against Shafie Apdal's ruling Warisan Plus coalition consisting of Parti Warisan Sabah, the Democratic Action Party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, and the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation during the 2020 Sabah state election. The GRS alliance consisted of Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional coalition, the Barisan Nasional coalition, and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).[2][5]

During the Sabah state election held on 26 September, the GRS alliance won a simple majority in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, winning a total of 38 seats: 17 for Perikatan Nasional, 14 for Barisan Nasional, and seven for PBS.[16] Sabah Perikatan Nasional chairman Hajiji Noor became the new Chief Minister of Sabah on 29 September.[17] The GRS alliance party is the biggest political coalition in the state of Sabah after won the 2020 Sabah state election.

After the GRS Party won the election, many projects that had been stopped by the previous Sabah government were restarted by the GRS Party government. The project includes the Sabah Pan-Borneo Highway.

On 9 January 2021, the various leaders of the GRS component parties signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate cooperation among its members and to reject any form of external interference that would disrupt the coalition. Signatories included Chief Minister Hajiji, Deputy Chief Minister and Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Bung Moktar Radin, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Yong Teck Lee, Homeland Solidarity Party deputy president Ellron Alfred Angin, Parti Bersatu Sabah deputy president Datuk Seri Radin Malleh, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) deputy president Arthur Joseph Kurup, Sabah Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) chairman Peer Muhamad and Sabah Malaysian Chinese Association chairman Lu Yen Tung. In the occasion Sabah CM claimed that GRS should not be influenced by political events in Peninsular Malaysia.[18][19]

In January 2021, Sabah state government under GRS Alliance initiated a strategic 5-year plan which was named after the state slogan, "Sabah Maju Jaya" (English: Sabah is prospering). It emphasised harmony with the federal government's Shared Prosperity Vision 2030.[20]

On 21 March 2021, Federal Government of Perikatan Nasional has confirmed to fully backs Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to lead the state (with alliance autonomy given) and will give due attention to its development needs. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this support and relation fostered between both the state and federal governments allowed the Sabah Government to function to its best ability.[21]

On 24 November 2021, Datuk Salleh Said Keruak, the Club Backbenchers Chairperson of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), express to registered & formalised the coalition under Societies Act 1966 in Registrar of Societies (ROS), to stabilise the Sabah government political views.[22]

On 25 November 2021, most of all GRS leaders agreed with Datuk Salleh Said Keruak statement to formalised and registered this coalition as "political coalition party". The leaders that agreed include Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan (STAR), Datuk Masidi Manjun (PPBM), Datuk Yong Teck Lee (SAPP), Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (UMNO), and other parties president as well.[23][24][25]

On 26 November 2021, Sabah State Assemblyman for Kiulu division, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai stated that all PBS leadership agreed and wanted the coalition not only formalized but registered as a legitimate coalition entity of political parties in Sabah to avoid clashes and strengthen the political views of the Sabah People's Coalition (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) supporters.[15][26]

On 28 December 2021, Heritage Party (Warisan) vice-president Peter Anthony announced his resignation from Warisan, along with Limbahau assemblyman Juil Nuatim.[27] A new party, which was later named Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM), was founded and chaired by Peter Anthony, with Juil Nuatim being his pro-tem deputy.[28] The party would be friendly to the ruling GRS coalition, that it will apply to be part of GRS once its registration has completed.[29] However, GRS Information Chief and PBS Secretary-general Joniston Bangkuai has instead called for GRS component parties to strengthen existing ties between the founding parties first before admitting new members. He added that although GRS welcomes support from all Sabahans, "we (GRS) must not rush to form new alliances with parties whose loyalty and true partnership have yet to be proven."[30]

The GRS party registration letter was sent on 26 February 2022 and confirmed by Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Noor on his press statement to BERNAMA reporters.[4]

This political party was legalised as an official single entity coalition party on 11 March 2022 and approved by Registrar of Societies (RoS).[2]

On 18 March 2022, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Noor, the first chairman of GRS Party said the GRS was officially registered without BN, Gerakan, and PAS.

The GRS Party first chairman, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Noor also added in his speech that BN became GRS partners in the state government, just like PAS and Gerakan through capacity as a component of the PN.[31]

On 25 September 2022, GRS Party Chairman Hajiji Noor said GRS will continue to support Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in the upcoming 15th general election, contrary to Perikatan Nasional (PN) which has declared BN as its main enemy.[32]

The GRS registration approval certificate was received by Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Noor on 11 March 2022, and confirmed by him on 15 March 2022 during the inauguration of the Sabah KDM Party.[2]

On 9 May 2022, The United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) has been accepted as a new component party of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition party.[33]

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Sabah is now "paralyzed" when all its representatives act to leave the party effectively on 10 December 2022. The chairman of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor also stated that all the representatives of the Sabah assemblymen decided to quit and leave Sabah BERSATU party. The leaders of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) Sabah including all its representatives officially announced their exit from the BERSATU party at noon on 10 December 2022.[34] Hajiji Noor and the GRS Leadership announced to inaugurate the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) as a local coalition in Sabah in total without the involvement of parties outside Sabah. Immediately after the exit of BERSATU Sabah from the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), there were rumors that former members of BERSATU Sabah would join the Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS), but the current President of PGRS, Stephen Jacob Jimbangan, has not received a call from the highest leadership of former BERSATU members. Stephen Jacob Jimbangan said that the ex-BERSATU Sabah to join PGRS can be misunderstanding and at the same time he did not rule out the possibility that PGRS will become a new platform for former members of BERSATU Sabah party. He also said that it would not be a problem if PGRS was made their new component and platform if it was for the good of the people of Sabah and even the top leadership of PGRS also agreed.[35][36]

In 2022, this coalition officially only combines the former components of Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS), United Borneo Alliance (UBA), and former independent politicians. Such things cause GRS to be seen as a fully local political coalition party entity without the interference of parties outside Sabah.[37] Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, the leading partner in the ruling state coalition, is in a stronger position following the exit of Sabah Bersatu leaders from their former party as GRS can now claim to be a fully-local Sabah party, according to political analyst Lee Kuok Tiung. He said the decision by state assemblymen and MPs of Sabah Bersatu to leave the party was a shrewd move as no one could now accuse GRS of being a Bersatu-led party masquerading as a local Sabah party. “It is now a local party and not only that, I believe it would help strengthen the Borneo Bloc with its collaboration with the Gabungan Parti Sarawak,” he said. Lee also dismissed the speculation that Hajiji Noor's government would collapse for supposedly having lost his majority in the state assembly. Instead, he said, Hajiji's position had been further fortified because he and other Bersatu Sabah members had become GRS members.[5]

On 29 January 2023, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has announced his leadership of an existing local party Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat). Hajiji announced that Gagasan Rakyat has been accepted to be part of GRS on December 9, 2022. Hajiji replaced Stephen Jacob Jimbangan as party president.[38][39]

Member of Parliament for Papar, Armizan Mohd. Ali said four former BERSATU Sabah member of Parliament will not join Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah because anti-hopping law. Instead, they will remain as direct members of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).[40]

• Malaysian United Indigenous Party of Sabah (BERSATU Sabah), (2020–2022) (resigned under Hajiji Noor) (rejoined PN under Ronald Kiandee on December 11, 2022)[57]

Gabungan Rakyat Sabah Party has 6 MPs in the House of Representatives.

State	No.	Parliament Constituency	Member	Party
Sabah	P175	Papar	Armizan Mohd Ali		GRS
	P178	Sipitang	Matbali Musah		GRS
	P179	Ranau	Jonathan Yasin		GRS
	P180	Keningau	Jeffrey Kitingan		STAR
	P185	Batu Sapi	Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan		GRS
	P190	Tawau	Lo Su Fui		PBS
Total	Sabah (6)

Sabah State Legislative Assembly

State	No.	Parliamentary Constituency	No.	State Constituency	Member	Party
Sabah	P167	Kudat	N01	Banggi	Mohammad Mohamarin		GAGASAN
			N03	Pitas	Ruddy Awah		GAGASAN
			N04	Tanjong Kapor	Ben Chong Chen Bin		GAGASAN
	P168	Kota Marudu	N05	Matunggong	Julita Mojungki		PBS
			N07	Tandek	Hendrus Anding		PBS
	P169	Kota Belud	N08	Pintasan	Fairuz Renddan		GAGASAN
			N09	Tempasuk	Mohd Arshad Bistari		GAGASAN
	P170	Tuaran	N12	Sulaman	Hajiji Noor		GAGASAN
			N13	Pantai Dalit	Jasnih Daya		GAGASAN
			N14	Tamparuli	Jahid Jahim		PBS
			N15	Kiulu	Joniston Bangkuai		PBS
	P173	Putatan	N23	Petagas	Awang Ahmad Sah Awang Sahari		GAGASAN
	P175	Papar	N27	Limbahau	Juil Nuatim		GRS
			N28	Kawang	Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar		GAGASAN
	P176	Kimanis	N31	Membakut	Mohd. Arifin Mohd. Arif		GAGASAN
	P177	Beaufort	N32	Klias	Isnin Aliasnih		GAGASAN
			N33	Kuala Penyu	Limus Jury		GAGASAN
	P178	Sipitang	N34	Lumadan	Ruslan Muharam		PBS
			N35	Sindumin	Yusof Yacob		GAGASAN
	P179	Ranau	N36	Kundasang	Joachim Gunsalam		PBS
			N37	Karanaan	Masidi Manjun		GAGASAN
			N38	Paginatan	Abidin Madingkir		STAR
	P180	Keningau	N39	Tambunan	Jeffrey Kitingan		STAR
			N40	Bingkor	Robert Tawik		STAR
			N41	Liawan	Anuar Ayub @ Banand		STAR
	P181	Tenom	N43	Kemabong	Rubin Balang		GAGASAN
	P182	Pensiangan	N44	Tulid	Flovia Ng		STAR
			N45	Sook	Ellron Alfred Angin		STAR
			N46	Nabawan	Abd. Ghani Mohd. Yassin		GAGASAN
	P183	Beluran	N47	Telupid	Jonnybone J. Kurum		PBS
			N48	Sugut	James Ratib		GAGASAN
			N49	Labuk	Samad Jambri		GAGASAN
	P185	Batu Sapi	N54	Karamunting	Hiew Vun Zin		GAGASAN
	P187	Kinabatangan	N57	Kuamut	Masiung Banah		GAGASAN
	P188	Lahad Datu	N63	Kunak	Norazlinah Arif		GAGASAN
	P190	Tawau	N67	Balung	Hamid Awang		GAGASAN
			N68	Apas	Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan		GAGASAN
	P191	Kalabakan	N71	Kukusan	Rina Jainal		PHRS
			N73	Sebatik	Hassan A. Gani Pg. Amir		GAGASAN
	-			Nominated Member	Jaffari Walliam		GAGASAN
				Nominated Member	Yong Teck Lee		SAPP
				Nominated Member	Amisah Yassin		GAGASAN
Total	Sabah (42)