PETALING JAYA: Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call for Sabahans to move past the “Sabah for Sabahans” sentiment in favour of national unity could backfire on the party ahead of the upcoming state election, an analyst said.
James Chin of the University of Tasmania said Zahid’s comments were likely to rile many Sabahans who remain upset over long-standing issues, particularly concerning undocumented migrants.
“Many Sabahans are still angry over the “pendatang tanpa izin” (PTI) issue, and they remember Umno was in power when it happened,” he said, in reference to the presence of undocumented migrants on the state’s electoral roll when Barisan Nasional was in power.
“He (Zahid) should be the last person to talk about Sabah identity,” Chin told FMT.
A 2012 royal commission into illegal immigrants in the state concluded that “there was a clandestine exercise involving senior officers in the NRD, Sabah, who apparently acted under orders from their political superiors.
“This clandestine exercise involved illegal activities relating to the processing and issuance of Malaysian identification documents to illegal immigrants in pursuit of a political agenda.”
On Monday, Zahid called the “Sabah for Sabahans” sentiment “divisive”. He said Sabah must work closely with Putrajaya to ensure its continued development.
The slogan, however, has long been associated with calls for greater state autonomy, especially over immigration, development and resource control, and remains politically resonant in Sabah.
Universiti Malaya’s Azman Awang Pawi, however, said Zahid’s remarks were not entirely misplaced, noting that defections and political instability had cut across party lines in Sabah.
“Sabahans can accept this, especially after many past defections. Umno is not the only party that tried to mount a coup; local parties have done it too,” he said.
Awang Azman said Zahid’s remark was simply an attempt to unite Sabah with the national agenda.
“He wants Sabah to be part of the national mainstream without losing its identity. It’s an inclusive approach to rebuild trust,” he said.
“Rejecting ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ puts national unity at the forefront, but an inclusive government that respects Sabah’s rights can rebuild trust and win support in the coming election.”
Oh Ei Sun, a principal adviser at Pacific Research Centre, said Zahid’s statement was unlikely to impact voters significantly.
“Sabah voters are more concerned with infrastructure and development than slogans,” he said.
