Politics

Sabah Bersatu leaders quitting party shows trend towards local parties' dominance: Analyst

KOTA KINABALU: The departure of Sabah Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) from its peninsular-based main political party is pointing towards an all-Sabah-based political domination in the Borneo state.

Sabah Bersatu chief Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said today the decision to quit the main body was made after taking into account the current political situation in the country.

Hajiji, who is also the Chief Minister of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-Barisan Nasional-led state government, also pledged full support to the unity government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He added that Sabah Bersatu will form a new local party but in the meantime will remain a member of GRS.

UMS Borneo geopolitics and electoral studies lecturer Dr Syahruddin Awang Ahmad said when Sabah leaders quit Bersatu, the political landscape is moving towards all local parties' dominance.

Other GRS members are all local-based parties such as Parti Bersatu Sabah, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star), United Sabah Nasional Organisation and Sabah Progressive Party.

On whether Hajiji's move would garner support, he said it would depend on the situation.

"Some but not all Sabah people will support Sabah Bersatu's decision.

"There will be government assemblymen who follow the (state) mainstream (Sabah Bersatu's move) as there will be some kind of bandwagon effect. It is either follow or be neglected," he said.

When asked whether the change of political landscape would also lead to state assemblymen crossing over, Syahruddin said there was still a possibility of it taking place if they were to be offered in favour of any dominant party or political leaders in the state government.

In the 2020 state polls, GRS teamed up with BN and with three independents throwing their support, the coalition won 44 out of 73 state seats at stake in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly.

Currently, Warisan has 19 state assemblymen, DAP (4), PKR (2), Upko (1), KDM (3), PBM and PHRS (1) and independent (1), PBS (7), Star (6) and BN (14).

The 79-seat state assembly also has six appointed assemblymen from SAPP, Umno, Pas and Bersatu.

As for the federal level, this is the opportune time for the federal unity government to get more solid support from Borneo.

"(Sabah Bersatu's move) will, at some point, trigger moves in other Bersatu (state) chapters all over Malaysia.

"Senior leaders of other state branches (chapters) will change their minds if they ask Hajiji personally on what basis and why such a decision was made by him."

As for other Sabah Bersatu elected representatives, Syahruddin said both state assemblymen and members of parliament may decide to follow the state body's move.

"Sabah Bersatu is weakened by today's move by Hajiji, who was also the head of the party (in Sabah).

"If state-level assemblymen pull out from the main Bersatu, so do the MPs. Otherwise, they will be left behind and will not get support from the grassroots in the next general election."

The 15th General Election, saw five Sabah Bersatu leaders making it to Parliament - Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (Papar), Datuk Jonathan Yassin (Ranau), Datuk Matbali Musbah (Sipitang MP and Lumadan assemblyman), Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi) and Datuk Ronald Kiandee (Beluran) who contested under Perikatan Nasional.

Armizan has since been appointed as the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Sabah and Sarawak Affairs and Khairul is the deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture minister.

For now, the anti-hopping law is only applicable to members of parliament as the Sabah state assembly sitting had postponed the tabling of the law for the Borneo state.

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