Warisan-Umno pact not enough to take Sabah, says analyst

Warisan has said it is open to working with Umno at the next election in Sabah, contingent on ‘compatibility’.

PETALING JAYA: An analyst has played down the odds that an electoral pact between Warisan and Sabah Umno will allow them to claim victory at the next state election in Sabah.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said the two parties lacked the support of the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) community which he added was crucial to making significant inroads in Sabah.

And while Sabah Umno had opened the door to working with Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (PKDM), Oh raised questions about the constant shift in allegiances by the latter party, which is led by ex-Warisan vice-president Peter Anthony.

“Peter briefly sided with Sabah Umno earlier this year, then reverted just as soon back to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS). So how reliable is such a partnership?” he told FMT.

He also said that other KDM-based parties might be turned off from working with Warisan and Sabah Umno, as the Shafie Apdal-led Warisan is not favoured by KDM voters.

“The next Sabah state election is likely to result in a few parties winning a number of seats each, thus necessitating the formation of a coalition government again,” Oh said.

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s Arnold Puyok said PKDM was a small party within the community and lacked KDM figures of renown to rally support.

He said the more pertinent matter for Sabah Umno and Warisan was to ensure that they do not clash for seats in the event that they agree on a cooperation for the next state polls.

“Warisan and Sabah Umno both enjoy substantial support from the local populace in particular areas, which should enable them to take on GRS.”

To win over KDM voters, he said the two parties could explore working with Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), the most prominent KDM-based parties.

He said both PBS and STAR would be “amenable to cooperating with any political entity outside of GRS”, despite being component parties of the ruling state coalition.

“For GRS, the upcoming election will not be easy. Merely relying on its strong Sabah-centric outlook is insufficient to garner support. It is important that GRS addresses issues of governance and leadership,” he added.

Last Sunday, Warisan Supreme Council member Yusof Apdal said the party was willing to form a strategic alliance with Umno at the next Sabah election, as long as there was “compatibility”.

Yusof, the younger brother of party president Shafie, also pointed out that Warisan and Umno were already allies in the federal government. - FMT