KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah voters have made it clear that while they strongly favour local political parties, they ultimately prefer those capable of working closely with the federal unity government, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.
He said an in-depth analysis of polling streams from the recent Sabah state election showed that voter preferences were shaped not only by local identity but also by considerations of governance, stability, and federal-state cooperation.
According to Saifuddin Nasution, the widely discussed “Sabah for Sabahans” sentiment played a central role in shaping the election outcome, benefiting local parties such as Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Parti Warisan.
However, he noted that when voters were presented with a direct choice between the two, GRS consistently outperformed Warisan in head-to-head contests across 52 state seats.
“This indicates that voters chose the local party that was more openly cooperative with the federal government,” he said.
Saifuddin Nasution explained that the message from Sabah voters was not one of isolation, but of partnership — a desire for a state government that commands respect while maintaining strong ties with Putrajaya.
He added that Pakatan Harapan had completed its internal post-election assessments and would continue discussions within the unity government framework.
“The real victory here is unity, not just seat numbers,” he said.