Kiandee should pivot to Sabah party if expelled, says analyst

 Syahruddin Awang Ahmad says the Beluran MP must heed the rejection of national parties in the Nov 29 state election.

Beluran MP Ronald Kiandee confirmed receiving a show-cause letter from Bersatu on Feb 28 and was given until March 7 to respond, although he is said to have declined to do so.

PETALING JAYA:

 An analyst has suggested that Beluran MP Ronald Kiandee consider joining a Sabah-based party to sustain his political career if he is expelled from Bersatu.

Syahruddin Awang Ahmad of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said the Bersatu vice-president, who is on the verge of expulsion after being issued a show-cause letter, should heed the rejection of national parties in the Sabah state election on Nov 29.

He said while Kiandee’s loyalty to Hamzah Zainudin might push him towards joining a new national bloc, the risk of voter rejection in the next election would be high.

Syahruddin said voters would likely continue associating Kiandee with national political branding rooted in peninsular values and sentiments, which runs counter to the increasingly dominant narrative of “Sabah for Sabahans” in the state’s politics.

“The political landscape in Sabah after the 17th state election shows that voters are more comfortable with local narratives that exclusively champion the rights enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

“If he chooses to remain on a national political platform, he may find it difficult to break through the growing influence of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

“Shifting to a local party would not merely be a move to save himself politically, but a strategic necessity to ensure that Beluran remains under his influence,” Syahruddin told FMT.

In the recent Sabah election, Kiandee, who contested under the Perikatan Nasional banner, lost the Sugut state seat to GRS candidate James Ratib.

Kiandee confirmed receiving the show-cause letter on Feb 28 and was given until March 7 to respond. However, he is said to have declined to do so.

Astro Awani quoted Kiandee as saying he might have spoken for the last time as a Bersatu vice-president during an event in Port Dickson on Friday.

The former federal minister has often been linked with Hamzah, who was expelled from Bersatu and is reportedly in the process of taking over and assuming leadership of Parti Keluarga Malaysia.

Arvin Tajari of Universiti Teknologi Mara questioned Kiandee’s influence and ability to rally public support if he were to form a new Sabah-based party.

“What would be the ‘wow factor’ for Sabahans? If he does form a party, the best course of action would likely be to cooperate with GRS to retain the Beluran seat.

“Kiandee would also need to shed his national political image and pivot towards more localised politics,” he said, adding however that it would still be difficult to imagine the former minister aligning with GRS.

Syahruddin said forming a new local party would be risky but could give Kiandee more flexible bargaining power in federal government formations.

“As a veteran leader, he could position the party as a strategic bridge to cooperate with Hamzah’s bloc in Peninsular Malaysia without being bound by the rigid hierarchy of national party structures.

“This would allow him to maintain a Sabah-based identity while continuing to support his long-time allies at the national level. It is a ‘kingmaker’ tactic often used by smaller parties to secure significant political concessions,” he said. - FMT