Strong local party will give Sabah the edge, says analyst

 

The Sabah state elections of 2020 led to a new government formed by the GRS coalition which includes the Sabah chapters of Peninsula-based parties. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A strong and united local party that has Sabahans’ backing will give the state greater bargaining power with Putrajaya, says a political analyst.

Tony Paridi Bagang.

Sabah UiTM senior lecturer Tony Paridi Bagang said such a party would be able to pressure the federal government for more allocations and development, as Gabungan Parti Sarawak was doing for Sarawak.

many had learned “not to simply give their support” after the various changes of governments since the 2018 general election.

Bagang called for an end to the blame game over Sabah’s lack of development. “The current government must walk the talk and not just give lip service,” he said, adding that opposition parties must not just oppose for the sake of political merit but should contribute constructively.

Oh Ei Sun.

Another analyst, Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said past experience had shown that it did not matter which party governed the state, whether it was local or Peninsula-based.

He said Sabah had been ruled by both types of parties and nothing significant was achieved in terms of both development and reversion of Sabah’s rights.

“All parties stress their party interests and sometimes, even more specifically, their leaders’ interests,” Oh told FMT.

Last week, a Sarawakian leader, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, said control of Sabah by non-local parties was hampering the efforts of East Malaysian states to cooperate on their rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

But Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin disagreed. He said non-local parties actually gave an advantage in championing the rights of Sabahans.

Lee Kok Tiung.

Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said what was most important now was for Sabah and Sarawak to unite so that their voices and demands were heard.

With Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan needing Sabah and Sarawak parliamentary seats in order to form the next federal government, he told FMT this gave the two states a powerful bargaining chip.

Given how GPS became kingmakers after the fall of the PH government, Lee said if Sabah and Sarawak parties were united, their demands would have to be met by Putrajaya.- FMT