KOTA KINABALU, July 25 — Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has today urged Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) to continue to play a bigger role in strengthening the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition state government, after meeting it for over an hour.

Amid talk of a political merger between two of Sabah’s most prolific native-based parties, Hajiji acknowledged the party’s key role in solidifying the coalition and expressed hopes that it would continue to work with other component parties.

"As a key partner in GRS, PBS needs to continue working hard in tandem with the other component members to further strengthen the local coalition as a preferred choice of the people of Sabah,” he said in a statement here.

He did not make any specific reference to a political merger between PBS and Sabah Tanah Airku (STAR), which has resurfaced.

Earlier, Hajiji had met PBS’s top leadership including deputy presidents Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, Datuk Jahid Jahim and Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai, secretary-general Datuk Julita Majungki, treasurer-general Datuk Lu Kim Yen, and information chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.

Bangkuai said the party had pledged to work closely with other component parties to solidify the coalition.

Recently, STAR president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan had been quoted saying that the merger had potential as it would be mutually beneficial for the two multi-racial parties with strong Kadazandusun-Murut backing to get together.

Kitingan said there has been positive feedback for the merger so far, which is hoped to materialise before the next state election due in 2025.

Sabah STAR and PBS are both components of the ruling GRS state coalition.

Sabah STAR presently has six assemblymen, while PBS has seven.