“KATAK kita jadikan pusas” (Reject frogs) is a message on billboards in the Sabah elections, to exhort voters to reject candidates who switched parties.  

“Katak” or “frog” is the term given to legislators who hop between political parties – a common practice in Sabah.  

The message is also repeated in many ceramah by Warisan Plus parties, such as DAP and PKR, as the incumbent coalition attempts to draw sympathy votes to secure another term.

Warisan Plus is facing nine candidates who abandoned it in July, leading to its downfall and ultimately the dissolution of the state assembly.

The nine party hoppers are contesting again either as independents or under the banners of new political parties.  

By calling them frogs, Warisan Plus is attempting to paint these candidates as immoral and untrustworthy, who will promise anything to their voters to get elected and when they do, switch camps for their personal interests.

The logic is that such politicians are incapable of carrying out their duties as elected representatives.

But for voters in these constituencies, party loyalty is not the only trait they look for in a good legislator and elected representative.  

Political science experts, on the other hand, said Warisan Plus’ argument against these so-called frogs also ignores the fact the coalition itself benefitted from them in the first place.

“Sabahans are used to frogs and party-switching, as it has occurred before in the 1980s and 1990s,” said political scientist Dr Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

The Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) government in 1994 fell and was replaced by a Barisan Nasional administration because of PBS defectors.  

The nine first hopped to Warisan Plus after the 14th general election in 2018, as the alliance was aligned to the Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal administration.

But when PH was deposed in late February this year and Perikatan Nasional-BN came to power, the 14 abandoned the state pact.

They went to a PN-BN government that was to replace Warisan Plus but the latter got the state assembly dissolved before the new administration could be sworn in.  

“So, Warisan Plus cannot really use this issue to its advantage, because people will say, you too became the government because BN reps hopped over to your side,” said Mazlan of the Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics.

Personalities first 

Limus Jury, a successful and well-known contractor in the coastal seat of Kuala Penyu, insisted he is not a frog.

He had won in GE14 under United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko), a Sabah multiracial party that was then part of BN.

After BN was defeated in May 2018, Upko and its five reps left the coalition and joined Warisan Plus.

“I did not jump. My party jumped. The president, deputy president, secretary-general, and the supreme council made the decision to take Upko out of BN and support Warisan Plus. As a party member, I followed the party’s decision,” Limus said.

“We wanted to stabilise Warisan Plus and sync it with the federal government at the time.”

When PH lost power and Warisan Plus did not pledge its support to the new PN federal government, Limus felt it was time to go.

He first declared himself an independent assemblyman and pledged to support then Sg Sibuga rep Musa Aman to set up a PN-aligned government.

“In the 26 months they were in power, Warisan Plus did not develop Sabah. They delayed many federal projects. That is why I decided to join PN.”

Limus is now defending his Kuala Penyu seat under the PN ticket, while his old party Upko, remains with Warisan Plus.

“Voters here do not choose based on party. They choose based on individuals, on who can deliver and serve them.”

A survey by Sabah-based think-tank SEED showed that overall, 49% of Sabah voters cast their ballots based on the candidate’s stature rather than the party.

About 52.6% of voters below 40 said they voted based on the candidates contesting, while a slight majority of older voters tended to choose along party lines. 

Kuala Penyu resident Ahmad Said told The Malaysian Insight he was not bothered by Limus switching parties and governments.

“I don’t believe in the anti-frog sentiment. What matters is the person is able to deliver,” said the Kg Laut entrepreneur.

Johan, a retiree in the interior seat of Karanaan, echoes these sentiments.

Like Limus, Masidi Manjun, the PN candidate for Karanaan, had also jumped from BN to support the Warisan Plus government by joining peninsula-based party Bersatu.

Bersatu withdrew its support from Warisan Plus and formed PN this year.  

“Masidi is very popular. He is always around and when we call, he will come and promise to look into our problems. He doesn’t make promises he cannot keep. But we know he tries his best.

“We have no issue with Masidi going from Umno to Bersatu either as it is still him.” – September 22, 2020.