TAWAU: The final hours of the 14-day campaign period have revealed a growing public sentiment that Sabah should return to an era when local parties stood united as a dominant force.
Sabar Peninsular Malaysia chairman Muhammad Faisal Mohamad Mohidin (
pic) said such unity was crucial for restoring a two-thirds majority in the State Assembly, which would strengthen Sabah’s position in pursuing rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
He said this 17th state election was one of the most competitive in Sabah’s history, with a crowded field of 596 candidates vying for 73 seats, including a large number of independents.
“The question now is whether people here are ready to choose their new representatives, as voters have been inundated with slogans, manifestos and promises, alongside desperate attempts to shape negative perceptions,” he said.
He added that irresponsible quarters were using false claims to divide communities for political gain, a trend he described as unhealthy for Sabah’s social cohesion.
“We also know that the 40 per cent MA63 claim and other hot issues have dominated many campaigns, and I sense that voters this time want Sabah to return to the unity of the past, when local parties stood as a major bloc,” he said.
He said Sabahans would express their collective voice at the ballot box tomorrow to decide their assemblymen and the next State Government, adding that a stable two-thirds majority similar to Sarawak depended entirely on the people’s mandate.
