KOTA KINABALU: With the Sabah state election drawing closer, a federal minister from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has made a clear pitch — the state must continue to be led by local parties to ensure that its interests are not diluted in national politics.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who is also Papar MP and Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) vice-president, said having local parties at the helm of the state government ensures that Sabah’s voice is protected and respected, particularly in negotiations with the Federal Government.
Speaking in Tenom during the Melalap PGRS' annual conference, Armizan said the successful amendment of the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Act 2025 — which only applies to Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan for now — is a direct outcome of this local-federal power balance.
“At first, the law was meant for the whole country. But the Cabinet amended it after listening to Sabah and Sarawak — both led by local coalitions. That’s the power of inter-governmental negotiation, not intra-party compromise,” he said.
Armizan said this outcome was only possible because the current Federal Government, led by Pakatan Harapan, was willing to uphold the constitutional recognition of Sabah and Sarawak’s special position under the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“This is why it’s important that the core of the Federal Government remains national, while the core of the state government stays local. It creates the right platform for state-level interests to be defended through formal government-to-government engagement,” he said.
He contrasted this with the Territorial Sea Act (TSA) 2012, which limits state control of territorial waters to just three nautical miles — legislation passed when both federal and state governments were dominated by the same national party.
“Some of the loudest critics of the TSA today were in government when it was passed. They were ministers, MPs — and they said nothing then,” he said.
Armizan noted that almost all Sabah MPs in 2012 belonged to national parties and were bound by centralised coalition decisions, leaving them little room to dissent or represent Sabah’s unique position.
“These are historical records — party and leader decisions — that cannot be erased,” he said.
While Sabah does not reject national parties — with Pakatan Harapan representatives also serving in the state government — Armizan stressed that local parties must remain the foundation.
“It’s about making sure Sabah’s priorities stay front and centre, always discussed government to government, not party to party,” he added.
