KOTA KINABALU: The current Sabah administration will be known as the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-Barisan Nasional (GRS-Barisan) government.

       Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that he agreed with Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin's suggestion for "Barisan Nasional" to be included to reflect the composition of the state government.

       "The name GRS-Barisan government will be used with immediate effect," he said during a working visit to the Tuaran district here Sunday (March 27).

       "Even though Barisan is another coalition and not part of GRS, we agreed on a cooperation before the state election in September 2020. When we won the election, we formed the government with Barisan," said Hajiji who is also GRS chairman.

       GRS, which was registered as a formal coalition earlier this month, comprises Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Sabah STAR and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

       Before the Sabah election, Barisan parties together with Sabah Perikatan Nasional (Sabah Bersatu, Sabah STAR, SAPP and PAS) and PBS formed an informal coalition of nine parties which toppled the Warisan-led state government.

       Following GRS' registration earlier this month, four parties became part of the state-based coalition. Barisan stayed out, saying that it was a coalition by itself.

       On Friday (March 25), Bung said that it would only be fair to describe the Sabah government coalition as GRS-Barisan coalition.