Sabah was the launchpad for Perikatan’s rise, says Annuar Musa

KOTA KINABALU: Sabahans were the first to take a chance on Perikatan Nasional, boldly backing the coalition before it became recognised across the peninsula, says Sabah PAS election director Tan Sri Annuar Musa (pic).

He said the coalition’s name, logo and campaign identity were first introduced and tested in Sabah, not in Peninsular Malaysia, positioning the state as the birthplace of Perikatan’s political momentum.

“Many may not realise this, but the Perikatan flag and logo were first flown here in Sabah. It did not start in Semenanjung,” he said during a Perikatan N16 Karambunai ceramah in Kampung Unggun Jaya recently.

“At that time, we were unsure if rural voters would even recognise the new logo. It wasn’t popular yet. But Sabah accepted it.”

Despite early doubts, Annuar said Perikatan parties pressed ahead with the new symbol, while Barisan Nasional opted to keep its long-used dacing icon.

“That decision showed courage — and Sabahans rewarded it. Perikatan secured more seats here than Barisan at that time,” he said, adding that early support reflected confidence in the coalition’s direction.

“Sabah gave Perikatan its first big mandate. The first test of Perikatan succeeded here before the idea travelled to Semenanjung,” he said.

Annuar thanked Sabah voters for being “the earliest supporters” and said their trust helped ignite what he described as a new chapter in the country’s political landscape.