Chinese voters not swayed by ‘Sabah First’ narrative, say analysts

 

Chinese voters in Sabah remain aligned with national parties, including DAP, despite the rise of the ‘Sabah First’ narrative. (Wikipedia pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Despite the growing “Sabah First” narrative, political analysts say Chinese voters in the state remain largely aligned with national parties, especially DAP, and are showing little regard for local alternatives.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Lee Kuok Tiung said Sabahan Chinese are primarily concentrated in urban areas, such as Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau, where DAP secured decisive wins in the last state election.

“The strong performance of DAP in seats like Luyang, Likas, Elopura, Tanjung Papat, and Sri Tanjong suggests that these voters still see DAP as their main political representative,” he told FMT.

“This differs from some Kadazandusun and Bumiputera-majority areas (where state-based parties have more influence).”

It was reported last Thursday that Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) intends to contest several Chinese-majority seats in Sabah’s coming state election.

STAR deputy president Kenny Chua claimed that the party, traditionally strong among Sabah’s indigenous communities, is now attracting more members from the Chinese community.

“In fact, many of them have urged us to contest in their respective constituencies,” he was quoted as saying.

According to a 2020 census, the Chinese community is made up of about 248,920 people, representing approximately 7.3% of Sabah’s population.

Oh Ei Sun.

Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun said the “Sabah First” narrative has not significantly influenced Chinese voters, who remain ideologically aligned with national-level parties.

“The political identification of Sabah Chinese is very similar to that of Peninsular-based Chinese, favouring a vision of Malaysia for all Malaysians,” he said.

Although there is speculation that dissatisfaction with the DAP’s leadership in Sabah could drive a shift toward local parties like STAR or Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), both Lee and Oh consider this unlikely.

Lee said Chinese voters in Sabah understand the importance of a strong political coalition over fragmentation.

Lee Kuok Tiung.

“If local parties were to gain traction, it could weaken coalition strength at the state level, affecting business confidence and policy stability,” he said.

Oh added that no other Chinese-based party has successfully positioned itself as a viable alternative to DAP in Sabah.

“DAP remains the overwhelmingly premier choice for Sabah Chinese voters, as most other Chinese-based parties are not viewed as particularly aligned with their political aspirations,” he said. - FMT