PETALING JAYA: The Sabah state election which left national-based parties hanging by a thread is a message from the people that Sabahans rule Sabah, say political analysts.
The DAP wipeout, analysts said, may be due to the party’s silence on alleged corruption in Sabah politics.
Universiti Sains Malaysia’s political science expert Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said the ground sentiment prior to the state polls was already pointing to a shift toward more local-based coalitions.
“Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Warisan benefited from the trend.
“While some seat level outcomes were surprising, the broader direction – a consolidation around a ‘Sabah First’ platform – aligns with what many analysts anticipated.
“Both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan struggled to project a strong Sabah identity and were seen as outsiders to the more localised contest,” he said when contacted.
Out of the 73 state seats contested, GRS won 29, Warisan (25), Barisan (six), Independents (five), Upko (three), Sabah STAR (two) while Perikatan Nasional, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat and Pakatan won one each. GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor was sworn in as Chief Minister for a second term early yesterday morning.
Prof Sivamurugan said their reduced representation reflects a voter pushback against national parties that failed to adapt to Sabah’s evolving political landscape.
“It shows that personality, local issues and community credibility still matter deeply in Sabah.
“Independent victories indicate that voters are willing to reward candidates with established local presence, even without party machinery.
“This election served as a referendum on local autonomy, identity and control.
“Voters strongly favoured parties and candidates rooted in Sabah’s political culture,” he added.
Prof Sivamurugan also said the results affirmed that “Sabah for Sabahans” is no longer rhetoric but a decisive electoral force.
“Come GE16, national coalitions must seriously engage with state-specific demands, particularly on the Malaysian Agreement 1963 (MA63), representation and development equity.
“If they ignore this shift, the Sabah outcome could foreshadow broader realignments at the national level,” he added.
Political scientist Prof Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University said incumbency played a big factor in GRS’ wins.
“GRS commands strong support outside metropolitan and east coast areas and was not tainted by businessman Albert Tei’s revelations on alleged corrupt practices.
“However, the most shocking was DAP’s wipeout,” he said.
State DAP chief Phoong Jin Zhe, who was Sabah Minister of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship, lost to Warisan in Likas – a major upset as the party lost all eight contested seats.
Prof Wong attributed the wipeout to local resentment against the Federal Government on the issue of the MA63’s 40% revenue entitlement and the discontentment of DAP’s reaction to the alleged mining scandal expose.
“Sabah politics is primarily about personalities, ethnic-party alignment and patronage.
“Popular incumbents can win in multi-cornered fights. It happened in the last state election in 2020 with three independent candidates. This time it is more,” he added.
University Utara Malaysia’s Research Institute for Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore director Dr Md Shukri Shuib said the Federal Government must take heed of regional patriotism in the Sabah state electoral results.
“Since 2018, from the perspective of Malaysian socio-politics, regional sentiment – particularly regarding disputes over rights and position within the country’s political arena – has been growing stronger.
“The existence of various new political coalitions has increasingly expanded territorial sentiments, especially by limiting roles either to Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah and Sarawak only, and this has hindered the development of Malaysian nationalism.
“Previously, coalitions existed within the context of the Malaysian Federation, not solely at the state level,” said Md Shukri.
He further warned that with the perceived territorial sentiments in the Sabah electoral results, division among the young is pending.
“This strife would be particularly among the younger generation born after the formation of Malaysia.
“The post-1963 generation, which did not experience the events of the colonial years, will see matters from a different perspective if state-based nationalism continues to be championed without considering its impact on strengthening Malaysia as a whole,” he said.
