Principles should not bend with political convenience, says Salleh

Former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak emphasized that principles should remain steadfast, regardless of political shifts. In a Facebook post, he noted that while political positions and alliances may change, principles should not be compromised for convenience. Salleh highlighted the importance of four factors in understanding politics: politics, party, principles, and personal interests.

He explained that politics provides the strategy, party offers justification, principles serve as the public argument, and personal interests may sometimes explain the underlying motives. Salleh stressed that flexibility and compromise are essential in politics, but cautioned against equating strategy flexibility with principle flexibility.

He illustrated that cooperation could be viewed as political maturity, while competition might be justified by upholding principles. Ultimately, the question is not merely about who is right or wrong, but rather which principle is guiding the decision-making process at any given time.