GALVANISING SABAH OPPOSITION NOT AN EASY TASK, RECKONS LECTURER

KOTA KINABALU: A political analyst reckons that Sabah’s fractured opposition will continue to remain divided even with former Umno vice president, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal offering a new game.

Unimas (University Malaysia Sarawak) lecturer, Dr Arnold Puyok observed that Shafie is unlikely to spark off a united opposition front despite early signs of warming up to his entry in to state politics.

“In electoral terms, as for now, it is going to be Barisan Nasional versus all the warring parties that includes Shafie’s (yet to be named and launched) party, Datuk Wilfred Bumburing (Parti Cinta Sabah), Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (STAR Sabah), Datuk Lajim Ukin (Sabah PKR) and to some extent, Datuk Yong Teck Lee (Sabah Progressive Party).

He reckoned that Shafie who is teaming up with former PKR vice president Darell Leiking to lead the new local based party will face a “tall order” in cobbling together the divided local and national opposition in the state.

“Without fresh leaders with more pragmatic alternative policies, the so-called local opposition alliance will only be good at splitting the votes but not at giving an alternative voice to Sabahans,’’ Dr Puyok suggested.

“If the new local party wants to win support along the issues of state rights, what difference can they make as the Barisan is also taking on local issues like never before,’’ he said.

He also felt that both opposition PKR and DAP were still relevant in Sabah politics as they had won more seats in the last general elections as compared to the local based parties.

“The fact that the DAP and PKR managed to win seats in the last elections shows that Sabahans are willing to vote beyond local parties. It is lack of vision to develop Sabah within the federation of Malaysia and poor leadership that cause the DAP and PKR to lose popularity,’’ he added.

Several PKR and DAP assemblymen are widely speculated to join Shafie’s party that is to be launched sometime next month.

Dr Puyok also opined that Shafie himself lacked the alternative vision for Sabah and there was a general apprehension about his agenda in returning to state politics that will see many watching him but remain non-committal.

“So far, we have not heard anything new from Shafie as far as the fight for Sabah is concerned.

“Shafie was a former pro-federal leader with little grassroots influence in Sabah. Shafie’s sudden u-turn will put him in an awkward position among Sabah regional champions,’’ he added.

He said issues of who is going to lead the new Sabah-based opposition coalition and whether the local opposition would be willing to contest under a common symbol would be tough to resolve.

A source close to Shafie has disclosed that the Semporna Member of Parliament has been in contact with his fellow opposition leaders, both in Sabah and at federal level, to try and work out an understanding so as to prevent multi-cornered fights in the forthcoming general elections.

Source: http://www.borneotoday.net/galvanising-sabah-opposition-not-easy-task-reckons-lecturer/

How far can Shafie go?

Shafie Apdal, who withdrew from UMNO recently is trying hard to revive his political career. It must have been tough for him, now that his political career is hanging in the balance. There have been a lot of talks lately about Shafie’s next move. Will he form a new party and align himself closely with local-based opposition parties? Can Shafie make a difference during these tiring times in Malaysian politics especially Sabah? 

Like Sabah PKR chief Lajim Ukin whose support his confined within his Bisaya stronghold in Beaufort, Shafie’s base support is mainly concentrated in the East Coast and Semporna proper. During his heyday as federal minister, Shafie spent most of time juggling between his ministerial and party duties at the federal level. Through a combination of strong family ties and patronage protection, Shafie cultivated an almost unbreakable relationships with the Bajau and Suluk electorates in the East Coast. 

Outside the East Coast, however, Shafie is persona non grata. Unlike other UMNO leaders such as Musa Aman, Salleh Said and Masidi Manjun, Shafie have no affinity with the Kadazandusun generally. This is one of Shafie’s main weaknesses. 

Securing the support of the Kadazandusun in particular is important as they collectively represent roughly between 30-40 percent of Sabah’s total population. Shafie’s close association with the KDM  (Kadazandusun) Malaysia is seen as his attempt to win the support of the Kadazandusun. But the Kadazandusun mainly see the KDM Malaysia as an outfit to weaken the Kadazandusun support to KDCA (Kadazandusun Cultural Association) and the PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah). Without a clear vision and credible leadership, the future of KDM Malaysia remains uncertain.  

Most Kadazandusun are with the KDCA and USDA (United Sabah Dusun Association) — two of the oldest and more popular Kadazandusun-based associations. The latest addition is the MNC (Momogun National Congress) that is gaining popularity for its pragmatic socioecomic empowerment programmes. Without strong Kadazandusun support base, it will be difficult for Shafie to widen his grassroots support outside the East Coast.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Shafie’s next challenge is to form an alliance with local-based opposition parties. This will not be easy as Shafie is long known for his pro-federal policies. Shafie’s sudden u-turn could backfire as many see it as his attempt to revive his fading popularity. The questions are: what difference can Shafie make? Will he propose different if not more innovative policy prescriptions for a better Sabah? Or, will he simply promote the “Sabah for Sabahans" battlecry without offering anything constructive in return for Sabahans?  

With the clock ticking, Shafie is racing against time to make his next move. It is possible for Shafie to form his own party or take over any of the existing parties in Sabah. Recruiting new members and making the new party relevant to Sabahans will be Shafie’s main challenge. If Shafie succeeded in forming an alliance with local-based opposition parties, what policy platform would the alliance promote and who would lead it? 

Whether he likes it or not, Shafie, the new “Sabah champion”, will have to join the other local champions long known for their anti-federal and strong regional outlook. While many in Sabah have welcomed Shafie’s return to state politics, others have this to say to him: “all the best gaman”.