By Amanda L
KUCHING, July 22: Borneo Dayak Forum International president Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan has proposed expanding Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) into a Sabah-Sarawak political alliance, saying a united Bornean bloc would give both States a stronger voice in Parliament and greater leverage in defending their constitutional rights.
Speaking at the Sarawak Independence Day Cultural Parade 2026 Vol. 2 at Tasik Biru today, he praised GPS for its political unity and suggested “adding another ‘S’” to form a Sabah-Sarawak alliance under a Borneo Bloc.
“I think GPS has been successful. I propose adding another ‘S’ to make it a Sabah-Sarawak alliance under the Borneo Bloc, so that we can speak with one voice in Parliament,” he said.
He said Sabah and Sarawak together hold 57 parliamentary seats, making the proposed alliance one of the largest blocs in the Dewan Rakyat.
“If we unite, together we would have 57 parliamentary seats. United, we would form the largest bloc in Parliament. At the moment, the largest bloc has only 46 seats,” he stressed.
He expressed hope that Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg would support the proposal, adding that Sabah leaders were ready to work alongside Sarawak to champion the rights and interests of both States.
The Keningau MP said Sarawak’s political unity had enabled it to make progress in asserting its rights, particularly on oil and gas matters and urged Sabah to adopt a similar approach.
“I admire Sarawak for its political unity. That is the key to successfully reclaiming our rights, because the rights of Sabah and Sarawak are fundamentally the same,” he remarked.
He added that both States shared the same constitutional rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the Federal Constitution, and that closer cooperation would strengthen their bargaining position with the federal government.
Furthermore, Kitingan maintained that Sabah and Sarawak deserved a larger share of federal development funding, arguing that current allocations did not reflect their geographical size, development needs or economic potential. — DayakDaily
