Kota Kinabalu, Monday, 13 October 2025
SAPP reiterates our consistent stand that Sabah local parties must unite in order to repel the massive interference of outside political parties in Sabah’s state elections. Already in the last two days, we have been seeing loads of banners being imported for a party from West Malaysia at Tawau.
Don’t underestimate Malaya parties’ resources
The non-stop influx of federal ministers and their entourage roaming around Sabah to fish for votes is only the beginning of waves after waves of federal resources that will come to Sabah to knock down and knock out local parties, including those parties in GRS. It is expected that loads of cash will be brought in to Sabah to distort the electoral process.
The aim of the Malaya parties is to grab power in Sabah through their Sabah proxies. After that, the window of opportunity for Sabah to claim our legitimate rights under MA63 would be closed under the guise of national integration and so-called stability.
A single party can win? Think again
If any single party thinks it can, singlehandedly, win a comfortable majority of the 73 seats, I urge their leaders to think again. Think again not for themselves but for Sabah.
We cannot compare with the single party rule of Party Berjaya (1976-1985) and PBS (1985-1994) because both parties did not win single handedly. Berjaya won in 1976 with the open support of the federal government. PBS beat Berjaya and won in 1985 because of a tactical electoral pact with fellow opposition party, USNO.
Let us remind ourselves that Unity is Duty.
Huge tasks ahead
In my last five years as a simple nominated assemblyman, I have observed the limitations of the Sabah government and the slow pace of development. There are huge tasks ahead for the incoming Sabah government.
As a start, Sabah needs an annual budget of RM10 billion (from the current RM7 billion) to solve our basic infrastructure problems and flood issues. We need to invest on technology, on education and health and on economic productive capacity. We need GDP growth of 8% for at least ten years in order to fight poverty and to create new wealth for the people.
For the above tasks, the Sabah government needs a huge jump in capacity building and efficiency.
Any rejection of co-operation among Sabah local parties is the best news for Malaya parties who want to gain control of the Sabah government in the coming Sabah elections.
The power to kill any “divide and rule” tactics by federal power lies in the hands of Sabahans. Sabahans want Sabah local parties to be united.
Datuk Yong Teck Lee
SAPP President