Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS; ) is a Malaysian coalition of Sabah-based parties. It was established in 2020 and then registered in 2022 by former United Alliance of Sabah (GBS) and United Borneo Alliance (UBA) component parties operating solely in Sabah inspired by the formula of Sarawak-based coalition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). Gabungan Rakyat Sabah gained significant popularity among Sabahans with a regionalist political outlook.

History Foundation On 12 September 2020, Hajiji Noor established an informal alliance named Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to compete against Shafie Apdal's ruling Warisan Plus coalition consisting of Sabah Heritage Party (WARISAN), the Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), and the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) during the 2020 Sabah state election. The GRS alliance consisted of Hajiji's Perikatan Nasional Sabah (PN) coalition, the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).

During the Sabah state election held on 26 September, the alliance won a simple majority in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, total of 38 seats: 17 from Perikatan Nasional, 14 from Barisan Nasional, and seven from PBS. Sabah Perikatan Nasional chairman Hajiji Noor became the new Chief Minister of Sabah on 29 September.

Under the new GRS administration, projects that had been stopped by the previous Sabah government were restarted and continued, including the Sabah Pan-Borneo Highway Project,Projek Pan Borneo Sabah disambung, beri manfaat besar kepada rakyat - Ketua-ketua GRS (Interview from Astro Awani) Recognition project of Anjung Kinabalu KK Night MarketNST News: KK Rebrands Markets, Anjung Kinabalu incorporate local elements and the development project of The Skybridge City Centre Kota Kinabalu.Skybridge access to Centre Point Sabah year end

On 9 January 2021, the various leaders of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah signed a memorandum of understanding affirming each party's commitment to the alliance, with chief minister Hajiji Noor maintaining that the alliance would remain intact regardless of the political situation on the peninsula.

Registration and expansion

On 24 November 2021, the alliance's backbenchers club chairperson Salleh Said Keruak floated the idea of registering Gabungan Rakyat Sabah as an official political coalition, arguing it was necessary as a means of strengthening the alliance. The proposal received the support of various party leaders, including Jeffrey G. Kitingan, Masidi Manjun, Yong Teck Lee, Bung Mokhtar Radin, Joniston Bangkuai and Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

The alliance was officially registered and legalised by the Registrar of Societies on 11 March 2022, with Sabah BERSATU, PBS, Homeland Solidarity Party (STAR), and the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) as its members.

On 9 May 2022, the United Sabah National Organisation (Baru) (USNO Baru) was admitted as a member of the coalition.

On 25 September 2022, GRS chairman Hajiji Noor announced that the coalition would support Barisan Nasional candidates in the upcoming 2022 Malaysian general election, contrary to Perikatan Nasional, of which both Sabah BERSATU and STAR was a member, which had declared Barisan as its main enemy.

Mass defections from Sabah BERSATU

Malaysian United Indigenous Party of Sabah, the regional branch of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party, otherwise known as BERSATU, effectively collapsed when all eleven state legislative assemblymen including the party's state chairman Hajiji Noor, and four members of parliament left the party on 10 December 2022. Rumours surfaced that the former members of Sabah BERSATU would take over Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GAGASAN), which came to pass as Hajiji Noor took over the party on 29 January 2023, with the party itself having been admitted into the coalition earlier on 9 December.

Political analysts regarded Hajiji Noor's decision to leave Sabah BERSATU as a shrewd, with Romzi Ationg commenting that the transformation of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition into a purely Sabah-based entity had been long-awaited by the local population.

However, as a result of the parliamentary anti-hopping law, the four former Sabah BERSATU members of parliament could not join Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah. They instead became direct members of the coalition.

2025 Sabah state election

In the lead up to the 2025 Sabah state election, GRS entered into a seat-sharing pact with Pakatan Harapan (PH). In opposition to this move, STAR and SAPP announced that they would contest under their own symbols rather than be bound by the agreed-upon seat allocation, resulting in the termination of their memberships in the coalition. Five state assemblymen from STAR left the party and joined GRS as direct members prior to the assembly's dissolution.

Member parties

Parliament seats (Sabah) Logo Name Ideology Sabah leader(s) Seatscontested 2022 result Votes (%) SeatsMember partiesGRS Sabah People's Coalition (Direct members) Sabah regionalism Armizan Mohd Ali 6 0.61% GAGASAN Sabah People's Ideas Party Hajiji Noor 0 0.00% PBS United Sabah Party Joachim Gunsalam 4 0.42% UPKO United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation UPKO officially accepted as GRS component Ewon Benedick 5 0.47% PHRS Sabah People's Hope Party Liew Yun Fah 0 0% LDP Liberal Democratic Party Chin Su Phin 0 0% PCS Love Sabah Party Anifah Aman 0 0%

State seats (Sabah) Logo Name Ideology Sabah leader(s) Seatscontested 2025 result Current seats Votes (%) SeatsMember parties GAGASAN Sabah People's Ideas Party Sabah regionalism Hajiji Noor 37 18.11% PBS United Sabah Party Joachim Gunsalam 11 4.95% UPKO United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation UPKO officially accepted as GRS component Ewon Benedick 25 5.71% PHRS Sabah People's Hope Party Liew Yun Fah 1 0.18% LDP Liberal Democratic Party Chin Su Phin 0 0.00% PCS Love Sabah Party Anifah Aman 1 0.41%

Allied parties

Social Democratic Harmony Party (KDM) (2022–2026)

Former member parties

Malaysian United Indigenous Party of Sabah (Sabah BERSATU) (2020–2022) Homeland Solidarity Party (STAR) (2020–2025) Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) (2020–2025) United Sabah National Organisation (New) (USNO Baru) (2021–2026)

List of leaders

Founder Year Hajiji Noor 2022

Chairman "(..)" in the number section refers to the same leader appointed after the special meeting of the coalition.

Leader Took office Left office 1 Hajiji Noor 2020–2021 11 March 2022 11 December 2022 (1.) Hajiji Noor 12 December 2022 29 January 2023 (1.) Hajiji Noor 29 January 2023 Incumbent

Leadership structure

Chairman: Hajiji Noor (GAGASAN) Deputy Chairman: Joachim Gunsalam (PBS) Anifah Aman (PCS) Liew Yun Fah (PHRS) Chin Su Phin (LDP) Masidi Manjun (GAGASAN) Secretary-General: Armizan Mohd Ali (Direct Member of GRS) Deputy Secretary-General: Mohamed Razali Mohamed Razi (GAGASAN) Treasury General: Lo Su Fui (PBS) Information Chief: Joniston Bangkuai (PBS) Executive Secretary: Abdul Kassim Razali (GAGASAN) Youth Chief: Jonnybone J Kurum (PBS) Committee Members: Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif (GAGASAN) Ruddy Awah (GAGASAN) Radin Malleh (PBS) Jahid Jahim (PBS) Juil Nuatim (PBS)

Elected representatives Dewan Negara (Senate) Senators

His Majesty's appointee: Anna Bell @ Suzieana Perian (GAGASAN) Nelson Wences Angang (UPKO) Sabah State Legislative Assembly: Bobbey Ah Fang Suan (GAGASAN)

Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives) Members of Parliament of the 15th Malaysian Parliament

Gabungan Rakyat Sabah Party has 7 MPs in the House of Representatives. State No.Parliament ConstituencyMemberParty P170 Tuaran Wilfred Madius Tangau UPKO P174 Penampang Ewon Benedick UPKO P175 Papar Armizan Mohd Ali GRS P178 Sipitang Matbali Musah GRS P179 Ranau Jonathan Yasin GRS P185 Batu Sapi Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan GRS P190 Tawau Lo Su Fui PBS Total

Dewan Undangan Negeri (State Legislative Assembly) Malaysian State Assembly Representatives

Sabah State Legislative Assembly StateNo.Parliamentary Constituency No.State ConstituencyMemberParty P167Kudat N01 Banggi Mohammad Mohamarin GAGASAN N03 Pitas Ruddy Awah GAGASAN N04 Tanjong Kapor Ben Chong Chen Bin GAGASANP168Kota Marudu N05 Matunggong Julita Majungki PBS N07 Tandek Hendrus Anding PBSP169Kota Belud N09 Tempasuk Mohd Arsad Bistari GAGASAN N11 Kadamaian Ewon Benedick UPKOP170Tuaran N12 Sulaman Hajiji Noor GAGASAN N13 Pantai Dalit Jasnih Daya GAGASAN N14 Tamparuli Wilfred Madius Tangau UPKO N15 Kiulu Joniston Lumai @ Bangkuai PBSP173Putatan N24 Tanjung Keramat Shah Alfie Yahya GAGASANP174Penampang N26 Moyog Donald Peter Mojuntin UPKOP175Papar N27 Limbahau Juil Nuatim PBS N28 Kawang Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar GAGASAN N29 Pantai Manis Pengiran Saifuddin Pengiran Tahir GAGASANP176Kimanis N31 Membakut Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif GAGASANP177Beaufort N32 Klias Isnin Aliasnih GAGASAN N33 Kuala Penyu Limus Jury GAGASANP178Sipitang N34 Lumadan Ruslan Muharam PBSP179Ranau N36 Kundasang Joachim Gunsalam PBS N37 Karanaan Masidi Manjun GAGASANP181Tenom N43 Kemabong Rubin Balang GAGASANP182Pensiangan N46 NabawanAbdul Ghani Mohamed Yassin GAGASANP183Beluran N47 Telupid Jonnybone J Kurum PBS N48 Sugut James Ratib GAGASAN N49 Labuk Samad Jambri GAGASANP184Libaran N51 Sungai Manila Hazem Mubarak Musa GAGASANP187Kinabatangan N57 Kuamut Masiung Banah GAGASANP190Tawau N67 Balung Syed Ahmad Syed Abas GAGASAN N68 Apas Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan GAGASANP191Kalabakan N71 Tanjung Batu Andi Muhammad Shamsureezal Mohd Sainal GAGASAN- Nominated Member Ceasar Mandela Malakun GAGASANRazali Razi GAGASANAbdul Kassim Razali GAGASANChin Shu Ying LDP Total

Government offices

Ministerial posts PortfolioOffice BearerPartyConstituencyMinister of Domestic Trade and Costs of LivingDatuk Armizan Mohd. Ali DirectPapar

PortfolioOffice BearerPartyConstituencyDeputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and CultureDatuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan DirectBatu Sapi Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department(Federal Territories)Datuk Lo Su Fui PBSTawau

State governments

Sabah (2020–present)

Note: bold as Menteri Besar/Chief Minister, italic as junior partner StateLeader typeMemberPartyState ConstituencyChief MinisterHajiji NoorGAGASANSulaman StateLeader typeMemberPartyState ConstituencyDeputy Chief Minister IJoachim GunsalamPBSKundasangDeputy Chief Minister IIMasidi ManjunGAGASANKaranaanDeputy Chief Minister IIIEwon BenedickUPKOKadamaian

Parliamentary general election results

Election Total seats won Seats contested Total votes Voting Percentage Outcome of election Election leader2022 13 194,324 1.25% 4 seats; Governing coalition Hajiji Noor

State legislative assembly general election results Sabah state election Total seats won Seats contested Total votes Voting Percentage Outcome of election Election leader2020 51 175,056 23.94% 1 seat; State governing coalition Hajiji Noor2025 55 286,389 25.37% 5 seats; State governing coalition Hajiji Noor

Notes

References