Heavy losses for PH and hung assembly highlight growing state-first identity and widening disconnect between Putrajaya narratives and local realities, say analysts
PETALING JAYA: Sabah voters delivered a searing rebuke to federal-based parties in the 17th state election, decimating DAP and leaving PKR with a solitary seat, signalling the rise of Sabah-centric politics and sounding a warning ahead of GE16.
Analysts say the results reflect a decisive shift towards local identity, demonstrating that national narratives alone no longer sway the state’s electorate.
Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun attributed Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) collapse in Sabah to its failure to connect with local voters.
“PH largely recycled pre-2018 BN tactics, highlighting so-called deliverables that voters barely felt while defending what has become indefensible – corruption scandals.
“Many of its constituencies are urban or suburban, where sociopolitical awareness is higher. Voters gravitated towards an alternative, hope-driven narrative.”
Oh described the losses as “catastrophic”, wiping out PH’s influence in East Malaysia and warned that similar challenges could emerge nationally if the coalition maintains the same approach.
“The ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ mandate is almost evenly split between GRS and Warisan.
“Unless PH works closely with local partners, Sabah’s hand remains weak. The coalition must ensure its reform agenda produces tangible results and maintain credible anti-corruption credentials.”
Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Datuk Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the election marks a broader rejection of federal-linked parties and the assertion of a Sabah-first political identity.
“PKR winning just one seat out of 22 candidates and DAP wiped out in all eight constituencies it contested shows the national PH brand is now a liability, even in Chinese-majority urban areas which were once DAP strongholds.”
Awang Azman highlighted two key drivers – the prime minister’s senior political secretary Sabah mineral scandal, which eroded PH’s anti-corruption image and the rise of local parties such as GRS and Warisan, offering a Sabah-first alternative independent of Perikatan Nasional.
“Sabah for Sabahans and Sabah First frames became powerful sorting tools.
“Voters drew a clear line between local parties and those perceived as Malaya-based. Warisan repositioned itself as a Sabah-first vehicle, even appealing to urban constituencies previously dominated by DAP.”
He added that the results expose a disconnect between federal narratives and local realities.
“PH’s macro-reform, fiscal consolidation, and institutional clean-up resonate in Putrajaya but Sabahans face dirty water, unreliable electricity, poor roads and slow project delivery. National reform rhetoric feels abstract when basic grievances remain.”
The scandal involving the prime minister’s inner circle reinforced perceptions that Sabah’s resources were controlled by distant elites, further weakening PH’s credibility, he added.
Awang Azman urged federal parties to heed the message – localise campaigns, empower Sabah-rooted leadership, field candidates with strong community ties and demonstrate accountability through visible consequences for mismanagement or corruption.
“If PH treats this as a local glitch, it risks repeating the same mistakes in Sarawak and future Sabah elections,” he warned.
The election concluded with a hung parliament – GRS secured 29 seats, Warisan 25, reinforcing local parties’ dominance. Federal-linked PH, including PKR and DAP, suffered heavy losses, while PN claimed just one seat.
“The collapse of DAP in its traditional bastions shows that even loyal bases can swing when local and economic grievances dominate.
“It strengthens local partners’ bargaining power with Putrajaya and serves as a warning – fail to deliver and similar setbacks could hit peripheral regions in GE16.”
