Sabah govt may lose KDM support over appointment of PAS man, say analysts

 

An analyst says the acceptance of PAS will see it playing a bigger role in future elections. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah could lose a considerable amount of support from the Kadazan Dusun Murut (KDM) community after the appointment of a PAS member as a nominated assemblyman, say analysts.

The KDM seats were seen as pivotal towards GRS attaining victory in the recent Sabah election, with STAR and PBS contributing a third of the seats, or 13 out of the 38, won by the coalition.

But with GRS naming Sabah PAS secretary Aliakbar Gulasan as one of its six nominated assemblymen yesterday, the KDM voters could re-examine their support for the coalition, in particular for PBS and STAR, said Universiti Malaysia Sabah senior lecturer Romzi Ationg.

This is because both parties could potentially be seen as conceding to the inclusion of the Islamist party in the GRS set-up although not in government office.

Romzi Ationg.

Romzi said the move could affect the popularity of GRS in the KDM areas.

“For sure, there will be voters who feel they have been betrayed, and it will be a concern to PBS and STAR whether their popularity in the areas will drop,” he told FMT.

This will happen if the elected representatives from both parties fail to convince their supporters to accept the appointment, he said.

“Certainly, the supporters of both parties are not in favour of the move, thus the state government must deal with the KDM communities accordingly to avoid unnecessary consequences.”

Awang Azman Pawi.

Sociopolitical analyst Awang Azman Pawi said Aliakbar’s appointment will severely test the resolve of Sabahans, particularly the KDM community.

He said it will also place the loyalty of grassroots supporters of PBS and STAR under the microscope.

“Will they regret having voted for the parties because of their rejection towards PAS (for its perceived extreme religious and political views)?

“Will the grassroots supporters translate this dissatisfaction into protest votes in future elections?

“How far is the acceptance level involving the non-partisan and partisan groups and even the elected assemblymen themselves over the appointment, not to mention PBS, STAR and SAPP (another Perikatan Nasional component)?” he asked.

He said if the parties, from their grassroots supporters right up to the leadership, could accept the appointment, it would mean PAS has managed to broaden its footing in Sabah.

This acceptance could manifest into PAS contesting as part of GRS in future elections, potentially pushing parties in the coalition out of their traditional seats if clashes are to be avoided.

“All these will be tested in the Sabah political context and we will probably see how everything plays out in the not too distant future,” he said.

Tony Paridi Bagang.

Sabah UiTM’s Tony Paridi Bagang said it will be a challenge for GRS and PAS to prove the perceptions about the Islamist party are misleading.

“But the fact is PAS is now part of the government of the day in Sabah. Like it or not, the decision has been made,” he said, adding that public sentiments over the party are not desirable.

He said PAS should be aware of why the sentiments are against the party and should work to correct them.

Yesterday, STAR president Jeffrey Kitingan and PBS chief Maximus Ongkili maintained their parties’ stand that PAS should not have been included in the GRS set-up in the state assembly or in government office.

However, both urged the people to cooperate with and support Chief Minister Hajiji Noor over the decision to appoint Aliakbar. - FMT