KOTA KINABALU, Nov 29 — The ruling coalition, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), held its supreme council (AMT) meeting today in preparation for the state elections expected next year.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is also the chairman of GRS, said that among the key issues discussed during the meeting were the establishment of the Central (State) Election Machinery and the formation of the Election Management Committee.

The meeting was attended by the four GRS deputy chairmen, who are also leaders of the coalition’s component parties: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) acting president Datuk Seri Joachim Gunsalam, United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) president Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee.

Vice chairmen present included Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan Rakyat) president Tan Sri Datuk Liew Yun Fah and Liberal Democratic Party president Datuk Chin Su Pin.

Later in the day, PBS and STAR held their second joint leader council meeting to solidify their pact and strategy as the two main native Sabah parties, colloquially known as KDM (Kadazan, Dusun, and Murut), within the GRS coalition.

The two parties stated they had discussed ways to strengthen grassroots collaboration and identified seats they intend to contest in the upcoming election.

"We are moving forward with a clear plan and strategy through our political collaboration to secure a decisive victory in the state elections,” they said in a statement afterwards.

Gunsalam and Kitingan expressed confidence that the political partnership between the two parties would make them a formidable force in the coming elections.

The two parties also agreed to draft a joint manifesto that reflects their shared vision, complementing the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) manifesto.