KOTA KINABALU: A proposed bipartisan political deal between Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and the Opposition in Sabah should also include Parti Warisan Sabah, says Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee.

       The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president, whose party is a member of GRS and Perikatan Nasional, said that Warisan was the main Opposition party in Sabah, not Pakatan Harapan.

       "Any talk of any cooperation agreement with Opposition parties in Sabah should realistically involve Warisan.

       "Whether Warisan wants to be involved or not is a different matter to be addressed later," said Yong, who is Perikatan deputy chairman, said in a statement on Monday (Oct 25).

       Four Pakatan Harapan parties, namely PKR, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara and Upko, have stated that they were formulating a memorandum of understanding for bipartisan cooperation with the GRS government led by Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

       Hajiji said that any MOU to be signed with the Opposition would only be after discussions with leaders of the 10-party GRS coalition.

       Warisan, led by Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, is the state Opposition leader with 20 assemblymen in the current 78-member assembly while Pakatan parties hold nine seats.

       He said that the state PKR and DAP leaders had no say in such matters as they had to listen to party bosses in Peninsular Malaysia.

       "Even the 'secret talks' between DAP and GRS' top leaders have to be led by DAP's supremo Lim Guan Eng," he added.

       Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said that he was unaware of the proposal for bipartisan cooperation with GRS.