PKR not on verge of wipeout in Sabah, assures party sec-gen

Fuziah Salleh says the state’s recent polls show Sabahans want local parties to be aligned with the federal government.

PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh says the party’s surveys show an increase in support for its president, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and his federal government.

PUTRAJAYA:

 PKR’s capture of a single seat in the 2025 Sabah election should not be seen as a sign the party is on the verge of being wiped out in the state, says secretary‑general Fuziah Salleh.

Fuziah said the result instead offers PKR a chance to recalibrate its strategy in Sabah and gain clearer insight into voter sentiment on the ground.

With Sabahans largely voting for local parties, particularly Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Warisan, she said the outcome was an important benchmark for PKR to chart its strategy for the 16th general election (GE16).

“Sabahans want local parties, but they also want local parties that are aligned with the federal government,” she told FMT.

Fuziah expressed confidence that Sabah’s political realities would not weaken PKR’s overall position.

The senator stressed that PKR was prepared to reassess its state‑level strategy to reinforce the party’s relevance amid shifting local political dynamics.

Pakatan Harapan contested 22 of 73 seats up for grabs in the Sabah polls in November last year but only won one, with PKR’s Jamawi Jaafar securing the Melalap seat.

GRS, which won 29 seats, formed the state government with the backing of PH, Barisan Nasional, Upko and five independent candidates.

More encouraging trends in West Malaysia

In contrast, Fuziah said the party was seeing more encouraging trends in the peninsula, with its surveys finding an increase in support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the PKR president.

“According to our latest survey, support for the prime minister has gone up by 5% as of the end of last year to 73%. (Public satisfaction with) the government’s performance is also high.”

She said the challenge was translating the support and confidence in Anwar and the government into votes in GE16. - FMT