KOTA KINABALU: If there is one word to describe Sabah’s political landscape, it would be defection.
This habit of party-hopping and switching allegiance to retain power after an election has been going on for too long, with many ministers even earning themselves the “frog” title.
(In Malaysian politics, “frog” refers to an act where a politician crosses the bench from one party to another.)
Leaders in Sabah are now asking for this to stop so that the state will never again be determined by such political moves.
State Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said since 2018, Sabah had witnessed episodes of defection, causing “democratic fatigue”, a weariness among the people toward politics that lacks principles and consistency.
Rather than due to the people’s rejection, he said Barisan – which had never known defeat in the ballot prior – fell in 2018 because some assemblymen and component parties decided to withdraw their support for the coalition after the poll results.
“Those who defected refused to stand with the Barisan federal government, which had at that time become the opposition.
“Their actions not only destabilised Sabah’s political landscape but also betrayed the people’s mandate, which had democratically chosen Barisan as the majority party through a legitimate electoral process,” Bung Moktar added.
He said this dark episode must serve as a lesson for the people of Sabah and that the state’s future should never again be determined by politics of defection.
Bung Moktar said modern politics is no longer about who holds power but legitimacy and trust.
“A government born out of betrayal will never be stable as it fails to inspire confidence,” he said.
Datuk Chin Su Phin of Liberal Democratic Party said defection is the one recurring theme that has cast its shadow over the stability of this state.
“Time and again, governments elected by the people have been brought down by political manoeuvring, party-hopping and backroom deals.
“This has left Sabahans disillusioned, weakened institutions and robbed the people of the stability they deserve,” he said.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah information chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said the introduction of the anti-hopping law should serve as a deterrent for elected representatives against switching parties.
“This should not happen with the anti-hopping law in place,” he said, though he worries there could be parties who will be able to find loopholes in this law.
Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe said defections take away people’s choices.
“Can you imagine? No matter how people choose, at the end of the day, it is still the same bunch of people,” he said, alluding to certain personalities who have been active in politics since the 1990s.
Political analyst Dr Syahruddin Awang Ahmad said Sabah must address the deeply rooted culture of political defections if it wants to restore public confidence in the democratic system and ensure long-term stability.
He said repeated instances of party-hopping over the years had weakened the state’s political institutions and betrayed the mandate given by voters.
Syahruddin said while calls for legitimacy and political stability have become more frequent, they would remain hollow unless parties themselves show consistent commitment to those principles.
