Guan Eng’s post-Sabah shift signals DAP’s growing disquiet

 

IN the wake of DAP’s devastating wipeout in the November 2025 Sabah state elections – losing all eight contested seats, including traditional Chinese strongholds – former party leader Lim Guan Eng has pivoted from effusive praise Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim administration to pointed rebukes, exposing deepening fault lines within Pakatan Harapan (PH).

This tonal shift underscores a perceived betrayal of reformist ideals, amplified by non-Malay voter disillusionment.

Just weeks before the polls, on Nov 19, 2025, Lim lauded Anwar and Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan for Malaysia’s economic triumphs: a RM700mil services account surplus – the first in 14 years – a robust 5.2% third quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth, and the ringgit’s 8.2% appreciation against the US dollar, making it Asia’s top performer.

He hailed these as a “strong endorsement” of fiscal discipline, with external debt at a manageable 69.4% of GDP and a positive net international investment position of RM77.3bil, positioning Malaysia as a “net creditor country”.

Lim even touted profits from 2019 Samurai bonds exceeding RM500mil due to currency gains, expressing hope for improved credit ratings in 2026. This was unbridled optimism, portraying the Madani government as a beacon of stability.

Yet, the Sabah rout – attributed to voter fury over federal policies like expanded sales and services tax hikes on tuition and businesses – triggered a stark reversal.

“If the PM does the right thing, we must speak fairly. If he does something wrong or not enough, we also have the responsibility to speak up. This is a fundamental principle of being an elected representative.

“I hope that by the end of the year, the PM can announce good news and not disappoint the support and trust given to PH by non-Malays. Non-Malays must feel that their votes were not wasted,” he wrote on Facebook after the Sabah elections.

However, Lim now says the Sabah state election results clearly show that voters are unhappy and dissatisfied with additional taxes.

“The PM may choose not to listen to me. Yet he cannot afford to ignore the voice of Sabah voters. Doing so would severely damage the prospects of PH and DAP, as well as public support for the unity government,” he wrote.

This contradiction—from celebrating Anwar’s stewardship to decrying its shortcomings—reflects DAP’s existential crisis.

Earlier, in March 2025, Lim pledged unwavering backing while insisting DAP wasn’t a “yes-man party”.

But Sabah’s “Chinese tsunami” has forced introspection; Lim’s calls for equity now carry urgency, hinting at intra-coalition tensions.

As Bagan MP, he vows to push Bagan’s RM8bil developments, yet his rhetoric signals PH must deliver or risk more “fixed deposit” withdrawals.

He also said, “The most basic of these (to show appreciation for the support of non-Malays to PH) is to increase funding for non-Malays, especially schools and temples, so that our education and religions can be better developed.

For Anwar’s unity government, reliant on Borneo allies, this feedback loop could destabilise the fragile equilibrium ahead of 16th General Election. —  Focus Malaysia