00:00The ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, with a broader base of support across the state,
00:07is better positioned to win seats in the coming Sabah state election,
00:10where multi-cornered contests are likely to feature.
00:14Bilger Bala of University Malaysia Sabah said the coalition, composed of local parties,
00:20also benefits from incumbency, giving it a slight edge over rivals, particularly Barisan Nasional.
00:25On Tuesday, BN Chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi reaffirmed BN's alliance with Pakatan Harapan for the Sabah state election,
00:34calling the pact locked in based on a federal-level agreement.
00:39Bilger said PH appears to be strategically positioning itself to play the role of kingmaker
00:44if no coalition secures a clear majority, especially if neither BN nor GRS wins an outright majority.
00:51He said that PH, by maintaining ties with both BN and GRS,
00:57ensures it remains central to any post-election government formation, regardless of which bloc prevails.
01:03He also dismissed the likelihood of a last-minute alliance between GRS and BN,
01:08especially after Sabah BN chief Bung Mokhtar Radin ruled out such a possibility.
01:13UMS's Lee Kwok-tiong also poured cold water on the possibility of a last-minute GRS-BN collaboration,
01:21saying a clash between the two is inevitable.
01:23Natasha Bust, FMT
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