Kota Kinabalu: Sabah PKR Chief Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the most effective model for Sabah was a combination where local parties led at the state level, while national parties acted as a bridge to Putrajaya.
“This is the model that best suits Sabah. Local parties lead, but national parties provide access, support and strong working relationships with the federal government,” he said.
He added that past elections had shown that while voters might experiment with purely local party sentiments, the majority ultimately preferred a combination of local leadership with strong federal ties, especially during major elections.
He stressed that political stability was key to driving development, pointing out that Sabah currently enjoyed a stable government with 53 assembly seats.
Stability allowed the state government to focus on people-centric agendas, welfare programmes and the long-standing infrastructure issues that Sabahans continue to face.
Mustapha also reiterated PKR’s call for the state government to expedite negotiations with the federal government on Sabah’s 40 pc revenue entitlement under the Federal Constitution.
He proposed that the funds be channelled into a special state trust fund dedicated to resolving Sabah’s chronic infrastructure problems, particularly road conditions, water supply disruptions and electricity instability.
He said the use of the 40 pc funds should be debated and approved in the State Legislative Assembly to ensure transparency and accountability, stressing that the revenue was an amanah belonging to the people of Sabah.
He acknowledged that a segment of Chinese voters shifted their support towards local parties, particularly Warisan, in the hope of seeing greater change driven by Sabah-based leadership.
While respecting that choice, Mustapha said national parties like PKR and PH continued to play an important role in Sabah’s political landscape.
He traced Sabah’s political evolution, noting that the state had gone through various phases dominated by local parties, national parties and combinations of both.
“From the era of Usno and PBS, to Barisan Nasional’s dominance, followed by Warisan and later the formation of GRS, Sabah’s politics had consistently involved a mix of local and national political forces.”
He also praised the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government for presenting the best-performing state budget to date, citing record state revenue growth and improved fiscal management.
He said the current GRS administration, working with Pakatan Harapan (PH) had demonstrated clear improvements in Sabah’s financial performance compared to previous governments.
Mustapha said state revenue under the current administration had reached its highest level so far, noting that Sabah’s revenue stagnated at around RM4 billion for nearly a decade after 2014, while Sarawak surged ahead to about RM9 billion.
He said the Warisan administration later managed to push Sabah’s revenue closer to RM5 billion, but under GRS it continued to rise, now approaching RM6 billion.
“This is the strongest revenue performance Sabah has recorded so far, and for that I congratulate the GRS government on its sound management,” he said, adding that the real test was ensuring that the increased revenue translated into tangible benefits for the people.
He reiterated the focus now must be on ensuring that improved revenue and stable governance directly improved the daily lives of Sabahans, especially through better infrastructure and essential services.
“That is the struggle. The revenue belongs to the people, and it must return to the people,” he said.
Mustapha also congratulated Kota Kinabalu PKR chief Grace Lee on her appointment as a Nominated Assemblyand expressed full confidence in her ability to reconnect the party with Chinese voters in Sabah.
Mustapha said PKR’s decision to elevate a Chinese leader through an appointed assembly seat reflected the party’s commitment to inclusivity and its determination not to sideline any voter group.
“We do not want to punish voters for their choices. We want to give them space to reassess which model truly benefits Sabah in the long run,” he said, expressing hope that this approach would help rebuild confidence among Chinese voters ahead of the next general election.
On the expected federal cabinet reshuffle, he said he is prepared to continue serving in any capacity deemed appropriate. Having served nearly three years in the Cabinet, Mustapha said he believed his performance and contributions could be fairly assessed.
“What matters to me is work. I do not lobby. I work. Whatever the position, minister or deputy minister, the goal is to serve the country and Sabah,” he said.
