Commentary by Datuk Seri Panglima Clarence Bongkos Malakun
Sabah Economic Advisory Council member and former Moyog Assemblyman
KOTA KINABALU: Daniel John Jambun’s recent article – “The future of Sabah must de determined by the people” – is riddled with high-minded rhetoric but dangerously short on honesty.
For all his talk about democracy and the will of the people, he omits a glaring truth -the man champions, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal – was the original backdoor Sabah Chief Minister.
Let’s revisit the actual sequence of events following GE14 in 2018, since Jambun and Warisan loyalists seem eager to bury the facts under flowery slogans.
The original Langkah Istana — Shafie’s 2018 power grab
In 2018, the Sabah election resulted in a clear winner – Barisan Nasional – under the leadership of Tan Sri Haji Musa Haji Aman (now Tun), who was rightfully sworn in as Chief Minister by the Head of State.
What followed was not a democratic transfer of power but a political piracy.
Six UPKO Assemblymen switched allegiance after the swearing-in, flipping their support to Warisan.
And, instead of waiting for a confidence vote in the State Legislative Assembly, the Head of State unilaterally swore in Shafie, plunging Sabah into a constitutional crisis.
Two Chief Ministers were sworn in within 48 hours – an unprecedented act that violated not just democratic principles but basic constitutional protocol.
I wish to ask where was Jambun’s outrage then. Where was his sermon on “letting the people decide” when Musa, who had already been installed, was shoved aside through backroom defections.
Let’s be clear that Shafie didn’t win power at the ballot box. He engineered it behind closed doors.
“If anyone symbolises elite manipulation and palace politics, it is Shafie.
Warisan’s 24 months of dysfunction and abuse
Once in power, Warisan’s so-called reformist government wasted little time showing its true colors.
There was “sempornisation” of the civil service and Shafie stacked key government departments and GLCs with loyalists from Semporna and even his own family members.
And, meritocracy was tossed aside in favour of nepotism and political tribalism.
Under Warisan’s watch, Sabahans watched in horror as reports of illegal squatter fires rose dramatically – a pattern many believed was linked to the clandestine issuance of identity cards (ICs).
The whispers of “Project IC 2.0” were more than speculation; they reflected a real fear among Sabahans that state identity was being diluted for political gain.
And, Warisan sabotaged infrastructure for political convenience. Its reckless decision to cancel the original concession for Telibong 2 and Sandakan water treatment plant projects directly contributed to the water crises Sabah suffers today.
Furthermore, the cancellation resulted in the payment of compensation amounting to millions to the affected firms, placing undue financial burden on the government .
And let’s not forget their dismantling of the Pan Borneo Highway’s project delivery partner (PDP) model – which led to massive delays in what should have been a generational game-changer for the state.
This was not reform. It was regression wrapped in populist packaging.
The hypocrisy of blaming Musa for “Langkah Kinabalu”
Jambun attacks Musa Aman as the face of backdoor politics but let’s expose the double standard.
Shafie mounted two coups in the span of five years – once in 2018 (successfully) and again in 2023, when he tried to topple Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor in another elite deal with Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin. The second attempt was unsuccessful.
Shafie tried exactly the same power grab tactics he once condemned but failed.
So what does Jambun do? He spins an old narrative about “people’s power” to distract from Warisan’s own political sins.
Democracy means accepting defeat, not constantly trying to bypass it
Warisan and its proxies need to understand that losing power isn’t a licence to cry foul or manufacture narratives about elite interference.
True democrats don’t overthrow governments through shady alliances and party-hopping. They earn back power through service and ideas.
But, Shafie has not done that. Instead, his politics has become synonymous with short-term populism, regional favoritism, and constitutional brinkmanship.
Don’t be fooled by romantic rhetoric. Jambun may wrap his arguments in the language of democracy and dignity, but underneath lies a deeply cynical defence of a political operator whose record speaks for itself.
And, if we are to respect democracy in Sabah, we must begin by telling the truth, which is Shafie was the original backdoor Chief Minister and that his administration was marred by nepotism, institutional erosion, and infrastructural sabotage.
Sabah needs real leadership and not recycled slogans and revisionist history. Let the people decide, yes — but let them decide based on facts, not fiction.
