By Datuk Teddy Chin
HARDLY a week passes in Sabah without something happening, politically speaking. They say that politics can change overnight. Meaning today one may be your friend, tomorrow enemy already as Sabah experienced in early 2023.
Similarly, immediately after the 2022 national election, Anwar Ibrahim seemed certain to become the parliamentary opposition leader. He woke up next morning to become the new Prime Minister. Politics….
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Also, in 2020, after the dissolution of the State Assembly, the Warisan+ state government looked almost certain to be returned to power. Then Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor woke up one morning to find himself becoming the new Chief Minister.
Fast forward to August 2025. Everybody knows that the State Assembly could be dissolved anytime. The popular belief is that it will be dissolved immediately after the Malaysia Day celebration on Sept 16 to pave way for election in October or November latest.
Two weeks before Sept 16, the State celebrates Sabah Day cum Hari Merdeka or Hari Kebangsaan or National Day on August 31. It was the day British North Borneo achieved Self-government status through the Legislative Council through last Governer William Gorde despite objection from Malayan PM Tunku Abdul Rahman.
The GRS government became the first State Government to declare Sabah Day a holiday simultaneously with Merdeka.
While Malaysia came into being on Sept 16, 1963, Malaya also became Independent from the British on August 31, 1957.
Since then, there has been an on-going debate between KL and KK as to whether the age of Malaysia should be calculated from 1957 or 1963. For West Malaysian politicians, it should be from 1957. For Sabah politicians, it should be calculated from 1963. In recent years, some politicians have stopped saying how old the nation is.
They simply say, for example, Malaysia Day 2025. To borrow the words of former Sabah CM, Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, the topic is “an elephant in the room”.
Let’s see what happens this year.
When ‘Bossku’ Najib was PM, he declared Sept 16 Malaysia Day, a national holiday in 2009. That perhaps partly solved the problem as the age of Malaysia can be calculated from 1963 then, no problem.
If they are those who still insist that the age of the country be calculated from 1957, fine if it suits them. Some argue that the age of USA is calculated from 1776 although a few States only joined them later. Also, Britain only officially recognized USA from 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
But the declaration of August 31 as Sabah Day by the State Government should not be confused with Malaysia Day on Sept 16. August 31 was the day when Britain granted North Borneo self-rule.
In other words, we were a country from August 31 onwards. ‘Joining’ Malaysia on Sept 16 in a way reduced our status from a country to one of the 13 Malaysian States. Anyway, there is no use harping on that now.
When Tan Sri Muhyiddin was PM, he described Sarawak as a Region (Wilayah) of Malaysia and not a State. I supposed he also meant Sabah. Which led to Sarawak calling their Chief Minister as Premier and their Assistant Ministers as Deputy Ministers. Sarawak is ruled by GPS, a coalition comprising only local parties.
Even DAP is not included in their State Government although the KL and Chinese-based party is a major partner of PH in KL, the leader of the Unity Government of PM Anwar. There is no PKR Assemblyman in Sarawak.
Coming back to recent political developments in Sabah. As we all know, the recent GRS supreme council meeting gave the OK for the coalition to forge a working relationship with PH led by PM Anwar’s PKR. There was no mention of BN led by Umno.
As we also know, it is Anwar’s wish that PH/BN/GRS work together in the coming State election although he knows that it is easier said than done. While GRS may have no problem working with PH, I just don’t see how it could work with BN at the State level. Both are part of the Federal Government.
If GRS goes Solo, it would be easier to distribute the 73 seats among its 8 coalition members with PGRS getting the lion’s share of course. Even parties which failed to win a single seat in 2020 will now have a chance. SAPP, Usno, LDP, PCS and PHRS can now have a chance to stand in may be at least a couple of seats each, depending on the situation.
Even with just PH as a partner, Hajiji will have a hard time allocating the seats. Can you imagine with BN in? I don’t want to be in Hajiji’s shoes right now.
Needless to say, each coalition (GRS, PH and BN) will try to bargain for as many seats as possible. Before this, the popular expectation is that GRS will get 50 seats and PH the remaining 23. That’s excluding BN, mind you.
PH comprises PKR, DAP, Upko and Amanah. Do you think 23 is enough for them? PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar has openly stated that her part aims for at least 13. DAP is going for 10.
That alone is already 23. So where do you put Upko and Amanah? For the record, PKR Sabah won only 2 in 2020. So it should be happy with say half a dozen this time around, about the same number that Warisan gave them in 2020. DAP won 6 and 2 of their assemblymen have since joined Warisan.
They should be happy if you give them back their 6 or may be plus 1 or 2 more.
Politics being what it is, you can’t tell Upko that because they won only 1 in 2020, they should not get more than 2 this time. They are in a position to demand for at least a few more. Politics is a question of who needs whom and when.
Even Amanah said they deserves to be in Lumadan where their candidate did not lose deposit in 2020.
Not easy. But I trust that Hajiji will think of something. He is a veteran. He was not born yesterday. Don’t underestimate him.
Now Hajiji finds himself in a situation where he needs to please both the PM (more out of respect) and his own GRS. Pleasing the PM doesn’t necessarily mean giving in or surrender. History has proven that if the State Government is not in good terms with the Federal Government, you know what to expect.
Usno or to be exact Tun Mustapha offended KL. You know what happened to them in 1976. PBS offended KL in 1990, you know what happened to them in 1994. Not to mention the ISA arrests starting 1991 of which Dr Jeffrey was a victim. And so on and so forth.
But if Hajiji gives in too much to KL, he will offend his own GRS. Already, there are rumours that if GRS end up working with BN, one or two component parties may leave.
What added fuel to the fire is that out of the blue Shafie of Warisan said his party will go it alone and contest all 73. Does he know something that we don’t? Or are there secret negotiations going on? Or is it just psychological warfare of Warisan in the face of the coming election.
That’s why, it is important that a political party must have a strong psywar and propaganda team in facing the election. During the Second World War, Nazi Germany said that if a lie is repeated often enough, it will eventually be accepted as the truth.
This must be the Sabah election that is going to see the greatest psywar whereby the social media is put the good use whereby lies and half-truth is the order of the day.
The Zara case has shown us how effective or how destructive the social media can be? Two have already been charged in court for spreading falsehood and may be more coming.
This is already 2025. A quarter of the 21st Century is gone. Even 12-year old girls are using the social media to earn money with their bodies, according to the Home Minister.
Coming back to the meeting with PM. No major announcements were made after the meeting with regard to whether a PH/GRS/BN deal is on. Except PM Anwar saying in his FB post that the meeting was conducted in a conducive atmosphere and harmonious and a good sign.
Not all the GRS component leaders or presidents were there. Hajiji can always give the excuse that any major decision needs the nod of the GRS supreme council. In early 2023, Anwar said Hajiji survived the attempted coup due to his “Silat Moves”. Hajiji can play Silat again while giving face to the PM.
Hajiji needs to be careful and tactful. Any wrong move may see the disintegration of his 8-member GRS coalition. While the coalition has given nod to working with PH, it may not do the same for BN. The hurt caused by Umno in2023 is too deep to be forgotten. Cooperating with PH and cooperating with BN is not the same thing.
Already rumours and speculations are the order of the day.
A couple of days before the GRS supreme council meeting, a Star deputy president insisted that going Solo is Best. A couple of days after the GRS coalition meeting which agreed on the GRS-PH deal, an adviser and writer close to Star president Dr Jeffery put an infographic on his FB on his preference for going Solo.
His infographic carried the word Solo four times big big across the center of the FB post. Of course, to be fair to Dr Jefferry, he may have nothing to do with it.
That was early this week. Later this week (Friday), the same advisor and writer, perhaps provoked by the opposition, said Star was leaving (the coalition). That was a bombshell! Whether he said this because he was provoked or whether he was speaking on behalf of Star remains to be seen. May be by the time my article is published, got surprise already. But this is only my assumption. It may be just speculation.
For argument sake, if a component party (or worse still 2) does leave GRS, what will happen to the coalition in the election? Well, I don’t want to play the part of God. The voters decide, not one or two individuals. PGRS itself by now is well-established and has branches in all 73 seats.
It is well-received by the people and you cannot write it off just like that. Hajiji is popular and he has not been hurled to the courts, unlike an Opposition leader who wore the famous MACC orange T-shirt to courts a few year ago. Hajiji never say a four-letter word in the State Assembly or challenge a fellow lawmaker to fist fight, unlike one foul-mouth MP from Sabah whose party is opposition in the State.
In the meantime, the Court of Appeal in KL has rejected KDM president Datuk Peter Anthony’s final appeal to have his case or sentence dismissed. This means that he will have to serve his 3-year jail term starting earlier this year. Looks like he will have to miss the election and the chance to defend his Melalap seat. Never mind that he may lose his current Melalap seat since the Assembly is ending anyway.
The only thing to decide is his seat is vacant since when for record or pension purposes.
The general expectation is that his daughter Priscella will defend the seat for him and if the voters’ sympathy is with Peter, she may stand a chance. She is a graduate so the question of qualification does not arise.
Peter first won Melalap in 2018 and successfully defended it 2020. Before that, Melalap had always been PBS’ stronghold since the days of Datuk Raden Maleh,
Thus, the general expectation is that PBS will get a chance to try to wrest it back. PBS’ Datuk Fredian Gan has been working heard in the area for the past couple of years. He is a former Tenom DO and is half Murut. Melalap is part of Tenom. But I heard under the GRS-PH deal, PH may get it. PH can mean either PKR or Upko.
I also heard PKR has been luring PGRS’ Datuk Jamawi Ja’afar who is Melalap divisional chief. As of now, it is hearsay. Jamawi is former Kemabong Assemblyman from 2018-2020 representing BN/Umno and is now the Chairman of a major subsidiary of Sedco.
Jawawi took over Kemabong from Datuk Rubin Balang who was Assemblyman there for a long time. He won but Rubin who switched to Tenom MP lost to DAP. Both Kemabong and Melalap are under Tenom, name of the district famous for its Tenom coffee, cocoa, rubber and pomelo. In 2020, Rubin took back Kemabong and Jawawi moved to Melalap to face Peter Anthony. This time it’s the other way round – Rubin won and Jawawi lost. Jawawi later left Umno and has been with CM Hajiji’s PGRS since.
If it’s Upko, the perfect candidate would have been Datuk Lucas Umbol. But the former Senator has since left Upko and is now with Parti Cinta Sabah, I think. If I am not mistaken, before PCS he was with Star briefly. He became a two-term Senator nominated by Upko. Anyway, this is politics. Anything can happen.
Even DAP can stake a claim in Melalap as their member was once MP for Tenom which included Melalap and Kemabong. And a lady lawyer at that.
So, until we meet again, stay tuned. Hopefully by next week I can tell you more.
Kalau bukan sekarang, bila lagi? Kalau bukan kita, siapa lagi? Master is here, not there.