SINCE 1963, Sabah and Sarawak have had to play second fiddle to states in West Malaysia. Many promises made ahead of East Malaysia’s independence from the British colonisers remain unfulfilled six decades later.

In fact, until 2018, Sabah and Sarawak were considered “fixed deposit votes” by Barisan Nasional, the former ruling coalition which was so confident of East Malaysian voter support that its politicians felt free to indulge in unruly politicking in Peninsular Malaysia.

In Sabah, politicking has been particularly intense all this while. Many can recall the 1986 bombing, riots and emergency declaration – bitter lessons which nevertheless haven’t stopped elected MPs leapfrogging from one party to another at whim.

The most recent shift in political loyalties in Sabah just happened in July, forcing state elections at a time of pandemic. The fallout is still being felt now as Malaysia’s Covid-19 caseload has more than tripled since the September polls.

So when Parti Warisan Sabah announced plans to venture into West Malaysia, many pundits feel the timing was right.

The fall of the Pakatan Harapan federal government, followed by the abrupt resignation of prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad  in February, was triggered by MPs changing alliances – similar to how Sabah’s state government collapsed months later in July.

Warisan’s expansion beyond Sabah makes sense in that the federal government has continued to be lopsided in favour of West Malaysian politicians – even though the combined land area of Sabah and Sarawak is double the size of the peninsula.

It makes sense for Warisan to seek more representation at the federal level if it helps to fulfil promises dating back to 1963 as well as to fast-track development in East Malaysia so that it is on par with West Malaysia. 

While many questions hang over how Warisan will find its way into the federal government, the truth of the matter is that there are many Sabah people in West Malaysia and it will only take a change of voter addresses to tip the balance in the Sabah party’s favour..

Political parties now dominating at the federal level – opposition PKR and DAP as well as ruling Umno, PAS and Bersatu – are likely to find themselves dethroned if East Malaysia loyalists were to flex their muscles at the polls.

This scenario may sound far-fetched now, but who could have predicted the defeat of Barisan Nasional in May 2018? If Pakatan Harapan could manage to pull off a win in GE14, why can’t an East Malaysian party like Warisan spring another surprise in GE15? – January 4, 2021.

* Fredrika Slong reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.