KOTA KINABALU: Political stability and leadership continuity are vital for Sabah to achieve development levels comparable to Sarawak, said Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) deputy president Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
He highlighted that frequent changes in government have complicated efforts to resolve basic issues and sustain development.
Since 1963, Sabah has had 16 chief ministers, while Sarawak has had only six premiers and chief ministers.
Masidi stressed that Sabah must adopt Sarawak’s mindset, where political stability and development efforts are prioritised.
“Compared to Sarawak, Sabah’s problem is the frequently changing governments. This itself shows how politically unstable things are,“ he told reporters after officiating the 2025 Gagasan Rakyat Women’s, Youth and Beliawanis Wings Conferences.
A key factor in maintaining stability, according to Masidi, is having a local party fully backed by the people, similar to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
He urged Sabahans to think and decide freely, emphasising that egoistic attitudes in politics remain a major obstacle.
“If we continue to hold on to the attitude of ‘I must win, others must lose’, the people of Sabah will never be united,“ he warned.
Masidi cautioned that Sabah’s abundant resources would remain underutilised without unity and hard work from leaders and citizens.
“We need to consider the greater interest, to develop the state together,“ he added. - Bernama
