KOTA KINABALU: Sabah and Sarawak could become a decisive bloc in forming the Federal Government if no single coalition secures a simple majority in future polls, says Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) deputy secretary-general Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister said the current reality is that no coalition or party is likely to win a simple majority in the 16th General Election (GE16).
Based on the GE15 results and today’s political landscape, no party or coalition can form a government alone. It requires cooperation among multiple parties. He said this after launching the Sentuhan Kasih Consumer Advocacy and Rahmah Madani Sales programme for the Kawang state seat under the Papar parliamentary constituency at SMK Pengalat, about 40km from here, on Saturday (Feb 26).
Armizan was responding to a Facebook post by former federal minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak on the role of Sabah and Sarawak as a determining bloc in the next general election.
Salleh said the post-GE15 reality shows there is no longer any single coalition or party able to form a stable government without multi-party cooperation.
Armizan said this trend of no clear majority has emerged over several elections. Coalitions that once held two-thirds majorities gradually lost dominance, culminating in GE15 when no coalition had a clear majority.
He said that in this context, the roughly 56 of 222 parliamentary seats held by Sabah and Sarawak make both states crucial in deciding who forms the government.
“When no coalition can secure a simple majority on its own, Sabah and Sarawak can become an important and decisive bloc,” he said.
However, he said the bigger question is how Sabah and Sarawak will use this leverage.
“Do we remain merely a complement or ‘passenger’ in forming a government, or do we want to be a strong bloc that not only helps form the government but also shapes its agenda?” he asked.
