Are Sabahans ready to go the Sarawakians’ ways in politics?

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Are Sabahans ready to go the Sarawakians’ ways in politics?

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2, 2025: Former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal and his Warisan are set to contest all 73 seats in the state elections due to Nov 11.

In the 2020elections, Warisan won 23 of 46 seats contested. Following a series of defections (by political frogs) , the party currently holds only 14 seats.

Will they and PGRS be politically buried by Sabahans?

This time around, will Sabahans unite, rise and dump all other Malaya-based-loving politicians and parties to turn Sabah into another “Sarawak” to secure their own socio-economic progress and future?

Do Sabahans see Shafie Apdal as possibly their “Abang Jo” (Sarawak premier)?

The elections will determine whether Sabahans will free themselves from the clutches of Malaya politicians just as Sarawakians did and are today progressing rapidly socially and economically.

 

Will Sabahans continue to stick with such politicians?

No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on Shafie’s announcement that Warisan will contest all the state seats in the coming polls:

Warisan to contest all 73 seats at Sabah elections

FMT Reporters

Warisan says it has identified candidates to represent the party at the next state polls based on their winnability, loyalty to the party, and determination to serve Sabahans.

Warisan president Shafie Apdal said it is crucial that election candidates do not switch parties, or stop serving Sabahans, once they are elected. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Warisan will contest all 73 seats at the coming Sabah state assembly elections, says party president Shafie Apdal.

Shafie, a former chief minister, said Warisan has identified election candidates based on their winnability, loyalty to the party, and determination to serve Sabahans.

“We will contest all 73 seats. We already have potential candidates. Just wait for the announcement,” Shafie told reporters in Semporna today.

He said it is crucial that these candidates do not switch parties, or stop serving Sabahans, once they are elected. “We don’t want them to close the door on the rakyat once they are elected as that will destroy the party,” he said.

The current state assembly’s five-year term expires on Nov 11 unless it is dissolved earlier to make way for fresh elections.

At the previous elections in 2020, Warisan won 23 of 46 seats contested. Following a series of defections, the party currently holds only 14 seats.

Shafie had stated in March that Warisan would contest the elections on its own, as its pact is “with the people” and not other political parties.

On Sunday, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah chairman Hajiji Noor announced that the Sabah ruling coalition and Pakatan Harapan had agreed to form an alliance for the elections. He said a basic formula was established on seat allocations, with several “minor matters” to be finalised.

However, Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi responded by stating that the BN alliance with PH was final and “locked in”, following an agreement made at national level.

His statement was seen as an indication that BN and GRS are likely to clash in the elections.

Sabah Umno and GRS were allies in the state government after the 2020 elections, but Sabah BN chief Bung Moktar Radin led a failed attempt to unseat Hajiji in January 2023 by retracting support for Hajiji.

Hajiji remained as chief minister with the backing of PH, which is now part of the state government while Umno sits in the opposition with Warisan.

Malaysia

Warisan to contest all 73 seats in Sabah election

Shafie said party will contest in all seats, dispelling rumours it will form pacts with other political groups 

Updated 36 minutes ago · Published on 02 Aug 2025 8:30AM

Shafie Apdal speaks in Semporna yesterday. - Aug 2, 2025

by Jason Santos

WARISAN will field candidates in all 73 constituencies in the upcoming Sabah election, said its president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, today.

The Senallang assemblyman said the party has already lined up candidates to contest independently, dismissing rumours it would form electoral pacts with other political groups in the state election.

“There are many rumours. There was a rumour we worked with UMNO, and now there’s a rumour we’re working with Perikatan Nasional.

“I’ve made it clear – we are only working with the people of Sabah. For that I would like to announce that we will contest in all 73 seats… all the seats,” he said in meet-the-people event held in Kampung Imam Laggu near Semporna on Friday.

Shafie noted that politics had become the most divisive force in Sabah, with a proliferation of parties fragmenting the electorate.

“...I’m worried about the political divide. It’s the biggest divide of all. In Sabah, there are so many parties. I’ve never seen politics as fragmented as this, not in the US, UK, or even Japan,” he said.

He noted that the Kadazandusun-Murut (KDM) bloc alone counts five parties – PBRS, UPKO, KDM, PBS and STAR, while other local groups and peninsula-based parties continue to enter Sabah to contest in the local election.

“Even people from the peninsula are coming in,” he said.

He warned that such political splintering risked weakening Sabah’s collective voice at the national level.

Shafie also alluded to past political collaborations, recalling that Warisan had supported leaders across the spectrum, including Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Warisan secured 23 of the 73 state seats in the 2020 Sabah election, but in the aftermath, 11 of its elected assemblymen defected, later aligning with the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition. - Aug 2, 2025