KOTA KINABALU, Oct 8 — After openly objecting to the inclusion of PAS in the new Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) should now pull out of the alliance, said a Sabah DAP leader.

Sabah DAP Wanita chief Jannie Lasimbang said now that PAS has an officially nominated assemblyman, PBS and STAR should declare that they will pull out of the GRS coalition after failing to stop the move.

"Both PBS president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili and  STAR president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan have vehemently denied that this would happen.

"Supporters of both STAR and PBS would not have agreed to allowing PAS, an Islamist party, to be a member of the DUN just as so many members of the public, institutions, NGOs and political leaders have expressed in the last few days. An online petition to not allow PAS in the DUN has already received more than 18,000 signatures in less than a week,” she said in a statement here.

Lasimbang said it was extremely disappointing that the new government has also failed to recognise the need to nominate more women to the state assembly.

"Appointing the sole two women from GRS who won in the recent election as assistant ministers in the same ministry not only shows that GRS has no faith in the abilities of its women elected representatives but also indicates stereotyping by putting them both in the Ministry of Community Development and People’s Well-being,” she said.

In a little publicised swearing-in ceremony today, Sabah PAS secretary Dr Aliakbar Gulasan was among four people who received a letter of offer or watikah to be a nominated assemblyman.

PBS’ Matunggong assemblyman Datuk Julita Mojungki and STAR’s Flovia Ng were appointed assistant community development and people’s well-being ministers.