Sabah BN staves off swing against coalition

KOTA KINABALU: A fractured opposition enabled Sabah Barisan Nasional to stave off a swing against the coalition in urban areas where the Chinese community make up the majority of voters. 

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee and Sabah DAP election committee chairman Hiew King Chew said the opposition had gained much ground in these areas due to a high incidence of “protest votes.” 

“The increased support for the opposition was due more to protest votes rather than wanting a change of government like in 1976 and 1985,” said Yong, whose party’s five of six incumbents saw a drop in their winning majorities.  

He said the election results showed that PKR had performed better than expected in urban areas where DAP has long had a presence. 

Oath of office: Musa being sworn in as Sabah Chief Minister beforeYang di-Pertua Negri Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah at the Istana Negri inKota Kinabalu yesterday.

“I think the message here is that some young voters are more inclined towards PKR and this could be because the party is relatively new,” said Yong. 

Hiew, who won the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary seat, said the opposition failed to fully capitalise on the “mood swing” due to the inability of DAP and PKR to work out electoral straight fights with Barisan. 

Apart from Kota Kinabalu, DAP managed to secure a historical breakthrough in the Sabah state assembly after its candidate, social activist Jimmy Wong Sze Phin, won the Sri Tanjong seat. 

But Hiew said DAP could have also won the Sandakan parliamentary seat as well as Inanam, Likas and Luyang state seats had PKR not contested there as well. 

“All the splits in opposition votes worked to Barisan’s advantage,” said Hiew.