James Chin says Sabahans are more willing to accept the participation of peninsula-based parties at state elections since they possess greater resources.
University of Tasmania professor James Chin said this is unlike in Sarawak, where voters prioritise local parties over candidates.
He said politicians with charisma and strong financial backing will have little difficulty winning over Sabah voters.
“Someone like Umno Sabah chief Bung Moktar Radin has these. So it doesn’t matter (which political alliance BN is in), he will still have support,” Chin told FMT.
He said Sabah voters were willing to overlook any reservations they may have to accept peninsula-based parties like Umno since they possess more resources.
Chin said Sabah Umno, established in 1991, is now well-entrenched in local politics and is unlikely to exit the state, especially since it has several “popular personalities” in its ranks and occupies 13 seats in the state assembly.
He was commenting, after former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak said the state cannot follow Sarawak’s lead and shut out national parties from its upcoming state elections.
Funding
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs also said voters generally tend to elect candidates capable of bringing funds into their constituency.
“Most of these constituencies are in rural areas, and what decides the electoral outcomes will be the resources that particular parties or candidates can bring to the voters,” he said.
Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia said Sabah voters yearn for development.
“Regardless of who is in power, as long as they can bring about development, they will get the vote,” she said.
A PH-BN alliance in state polls?
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya described Salleh’s remarks as a subtle attempt at preparing Sabahans for a BN-Pakatan Harapan alliance at the state polls, expected later this year.
He said Salleh appeared to be reminding voters that, unlike Sarawak, Sabah is prepared to accept peninsula-based parties.
“By framing Sabah as different from Sarawak, Salleh is likely hinting at a cooperation between BN and PH in Sabah ahead of state elections,” Awang Azman said when contacted.
That cooperation appears to be necessary now more than ever, with BN’s popularity seemingly in steady decline for several years now.
In 2008, the coalition won 59 out the 60 seats it contested at the state election. That number dropped to 48 in 2013. Five years later, BN won 29 seats, although six assemblymen subsequently defected to Warisan.
In 2020, it secured only 13 seats in an expanded 73-seat state assembly.
BN was also a dominant player in Sarawak until 2018, when the state’s major parties pulled out of the coalition following a chastening defeat in the general election. They went on to form Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and began to pursue a local-centric political agenda.
In contrast, federal coalitions have maintained a significant presence in Sabah’s political landscape.
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said BN retains strong grassroots support in Sabah, unlike PH in Sarawak which continues to be seen as a “peninsula-based party”.
Salleh’s narrative, he said, tries to explain the difference in approach by highlighting the history of Sabah’s relationship with federal parties dating back to the 1990s.
Chin said that, despite their peninsula origins, parties like DAP and PKR have already become entrenched in Sabah. The presence of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), a coalition that allows direct membership, adds another layer to the state’s unique political structure, he added.
While BN appears to be hinting at working with PH, Chin said GRS is also looking to seal a pact with PH.
“GRS is not like Sarawak’s GPS. GRS wants DAP and PH to remain part of the state government as they have the support,” he said. - FMT
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