KIULU (Oct 4): Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) Sabah and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP)’s exit from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) should not derail the local coalition’s ongoing struggle to reclaim Sabah’s rights, said Kiulu assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.
Joniston, who is also GRS and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) information chief, believed that although STAR and SAPP are no longer part of GRS, both parties still share the same ideals and struggles that formed the coalition.
“After all, both STAR and SAPP were instrumental in the formation of GRS, and I believe they still carry the GRS DNA,” he said at a meet-the-people session in Kampung Tomis Jaya here, on Saturday.
He expressed hope that both parties would continue to support efforts to defend Sabah’s rights and interests even outside the coalition framework.
Joniston said political alignments may change, but the shared goal of safeguarding Sabah’s autonomy and development should continue to unite local parties.
He reminded that PBS, having once governed the state from 1985 to 1994, has learned the importance of cooperation in defending Sabah’s rights. “Those years taught us that protecting Sabah’s rights is not easy. We must learn from that experience as we face today’s political situation,” he said.
From that experience, Joniston said it became clear that confrontation alone would not solve problems, while consultation and mutual understanding often open more doors for Sabah’s progress.
In this context, he stated that cooperation with the Federal Government should be viewed as a strategic partnership that enables Sabah to pursue its rights through dialogue and constructive engagement. “What we need is the right approach, whether through consultation or negotiation, as long as it helps us achieve meaningful results for Sabah. “Working closely with the central government must not be viewed as bowing to Putrajaya but a strategic effort to reclaim our rights,” he said.
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