KOTA KINABALU, April 16 — The planned collaboration between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) for the upcoming Sabah state election may unravel, paving the way for an open contest among all parties, Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin has warned.
He said informal discussions had been held between the two national coalitions to form a pact aimed at “protecting the federal government,” but admitted that the outcome would remain uncertain until after the election.
“Everything is possible in politics. Everything can happen.
“It has happened before that coalition governments are formed only after the elections, including in Sabah. The political landscape all over the world is changing, and there is no longer one dominant party that can rule the country or state,” he told reporters.
Bung said BN Sabah and PH Sabah were working to formalise their cooperation but noted that partnerships would only be pursued with parties that demonstrated sincerity and commitment.
“Parties who have no sincerity and are prone to betrayals, we won’t work with,” he said.
When asked about working with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Bung claimed his party had been straightforward but did not feel the sentiment was reciprocated.
“We have always been clear, but if others are not, what can we do?” he said, adding that no discussions had taken place with GRS.
BN and GRS were former allies during the 2020 state election, securing a narrow victory. However, internal disagreements led to Bung withdrawing support for GRS leader and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor in January 2023.
The move would have toppled Hajiji’s administration if not for PH stepping in to back GRS, resulting in a GRS-PH state government and turning Umno into the opposition — an awkward dynamic for the BN-PH coalition at the federal level.
Several PH leaders have since urged Sabah Umno to reconcile with GRS, suggesting a unity government involving GRS, PH, and BN, but such proposals have yet to gain traction.
Bung expressed confidence in BN’s prospects for the state election, which must be held by September, asserting that the party was better prepared than in 2020.
“Look at 2020 — BN and Umno weren’t fully prepared, yet we secured 14 seats. That speaks volumes,” he said.
“We’ve worked hard and laid the groundwork across all 73 seats. I don’t foresee any major issues,” he added.
