Political unity of the Malays may not be attractive in Sabah, Sarawak, says Salleh

Former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak said the cooperation could have the opposite effect if seen as a political formula that is too peninsula-centric. (Picture by Bernama) PETALING JAYA: The Malay political unity involving Umno and PAS may have an appeal from the electoral perspective in Peninsular Malaysia, but the political reality in Sabah and Sarawak is different, said former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak.

The Umno treasurer in Sabah said any Umno-PAS understanding that may be effective in the Peninsula is not necessarily suitable to be applied in Sabah. He said the cooperation could have the opposite effect if seen as a political formula that is too peninsula-centric. "The 2025 Sabah state election showed this clearly. The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) won 29 out of 73 seats, while Warisan obtained 25 seats.

Overall, these two Sabah-based political strengths controlled 54 seats - almost three-quarters of the state assembly. "The BN won only six seats, Perikatan Nasional (PN) one seat and Pakatan Harapan (PH) also suffered a major decline, winning only one out of 20 seats contested. "This shows that the sentiments of being a Sabahan, autonomy, development and Sabah's rights are becoming more important in determining the voters' choice," he said in a Facebook post.

Salleh said Sarawak gave a clearer picture when Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) successfully consolidated its position through a Sarawak-centric political approach, while Umno had never had a foothold in the state. He said Umno Sabah should be seen as a national party that understands the reality of Sabah and is willing to work with local parties, especially GRS.

"The formula needs to be clear. Political stability, development, Sabah's rights and the interests of the people of Sabah. "We are one country, but we do not necessarily need the same political and electoral formula in every state," he said. The Umno and PAS cooperation on the basis of Malay unity previously managed to bring about a big win for BN and PN in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections recently.

Both Umno and PAS leaders also expressed confidence that the political cooperation will be continued in future elections, including in the 16th general election.