KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) secretary-general Masidi Manjun says Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat’s (KDM) application to join the coalition is not affected by its president Peter Anthony’s conviction for forgery.
Masidi noted that Peter, who was sentenced to three years in prison and fined RM50,000 by the Kuala Lumpur sessions court on Thursday, could still appeal the court’s decision.
“There is still a chance that he will not be convicted. We do not want to have negative impressions just because he was convicted at an early stage,” he said at the official launch of the GRS coalition today.
He also pointed out that KDM’s application to join GRS was made by the party, not Peter.
“KDM is a party and Peter is just the leader of said party. We have to differentiate between leaders and parties. I don’t think his (Peter) conviction will affect KDM’s chances of joining GRS,” he added.
On Thursday, the court allowed Peter’s application for a stay of the jail term pending the outcome of his appeal in the High Court but ordered him to pay the RM50,000 fine.
Peter is the Melalap assemblyman, winning the seat in the Sabah state elections in September 2020 as a Warisan candidate. He was also the former Sabah infrastructure minister between May 2018 and August 2020, when Warisan led the state government.
However, he left the party last December, saying it had strayed from its struggle of fighting for Sabahans after its expansion to the peninsula. He was joined by Limbahau assemblyman Juil Nuatim, who also left Warisan to join KDM.
It was reported earlier this week that KDM had not received any update on its official application to join GRS, which was submitted on March 13.
Four pillars of GRS’ struggle
Meanwhile, GRS chairman Hajii Noor unveiled the four pillars of the coalition’s struggle at the official launch, namely to prioritise, unite, develop and prosper Sabah.
Hajiji, who is also Sabah chief minister, said GRS was on a mission to fight for Sabah’s rights and see the state developed under the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) initiative.
With five parties making up the coalition, four of which were local entities, he described GRS as the starting point of unity and cooperation, saying it was time for them to put their differences aside.
Also at the launch of GRS were Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Maximus Ongkili, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Jeffrey Kitingan, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Yong Teck Lee and United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) president Pandikar Amin Mulia.