Kiandee: 'Sabah for Sabahan' call misused for political opportunism

Summary

• Sabah Bersatu chief Ronald Kiandee claims local leaders often tout the ‘Sabah for Sabahan’ call, then conveniently forget about it after elections.

• He says it was important for Sabah to engage Putrajaya in reclaiming its rights, instead of being confrontational.

• The Bersatu leader also urges Sabahans not to fear PAS.

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Sabah Bersatu chief Ronald Kiandee has questioned the “Sabah for Sabahan” call, claiming it was a slogan of convenience that surfaces before elections and fades once it is over.

The Beluran MP said the phrase, once a rallying cry for state rights and autonomy, has been hollowed out by political opportunism.

“Sabah for Sabahan is about fighting for Sabah’s rights within Malaysia, especially under the Malaysia Agreement 1963. There’s nothing anti-federal about it.

“The problem is how it’s used. Some people turn it into a slogan of convenience,” he told Malaysiakini.

Kiandee added that during the long rule of BN from 1994 to 2018, the slogan all but disappeared.

“We didn’t even talk about Sabah-based parties anymore. It only appears when it is politically convenient,” he added.

Elaborating, Kiandee said he agreed with the sentiment behind the “Sabah for Sabahan” slogan but viewed it differently from leaders of Warisan, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star), and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).

“I’m for Sabah for Sabahan too. But for me, it means fighting for Sabah’s rights within Malaysia, not against it. We have to look at it from a national perspective,” he said.

Participate, don’t isolate

The former minister said meaningful autonomy could only be achieved through federal participation rather than political isolation.

“The question is how you fight for those rights, do you shout from outside, or do you take your seat at the table where decisions are made,” he stated.

Citing an example, Kiandee recalled his time as a federal agriculture minister, where he had devolved deep-sea fishing licencing powers to the Department of Fisheries Sabah.

“You can only do that when you are a part of the federal government, when you’re the policymaker, not just the implementer,” he stressed.

Taking pot shots at rivals, Kiandee said Sabah’s political history showed that parties that once proclaimed independence from federal politics often returned to national coalitions when it suited them.

“PBS turned anti-federal at one time but later joined BN. Every so-called Sabah-based party eventually goes back to federal politics when it suits them,” he said.

He described this pattern as “politics of convenience disguised as nationalism.”

PN’s quiet federalist approach

Touching on Perikatan Nasional, Kiandee said the coalition’s approach to MA63 and state rights was rooted in engagement, not confrontation.

He described PN as committed to defending Sabah’s constitutional rights, including the 40 percent revenue entitlement, but through cooperation with federal institutions rather than open hostility.

“MA63 shouldn’t be politicised. Whether you are in a Sabah-based or federal-based party, the fight is the same,” he said, adding PN believed in defending MA63 as a national obligation, not a regional campaign tool.

The focus, he added, was on working within the system to secure fair treatment for Sabah.

“Whenever we talk about MA63, the way some people speak, maybe the federal government also sees them as hostile. That’s exactly the problem,” he said.

He emphasised that for PN, the pursuit of Sabah rights should be conducted “without hostility” as antagonism toward Kuala Lumpur could dent progress.

“You’re not anti-federal just because you fight for Sabah’s rights.

“You just have to know where to fight, inside the system, not outside it.”

Dynamic Sabah

While acknowledging that PN remains in opposition at both the state and federal levels, Kiandee said his focus was on building Sabah’s influence “inside the system” rather than through political confrontation.

“Sabah politics is dynamic. We’ll go in under PN, but we’re not fighting anyone,” he said.

If PN were to form the next Sabah government, he said it would seek constructive engagement with Putrajaya rather than open conflict.

“We can still defend Sabah’s rights. but we must do it without hostility,” he said.

On Sabah’s constitutional right to 40 per cent of federal revenue, the Bersatu leader reiterated that the recent High Court ruling must be respected.

“The federal government shouldn’t appeal. That’s the spirit of the formation of this country, what Sabahans expected when we joined Malaysia,” he stressed.

Clean candidates

For the upcoming Sabah polls, Kiandee said Bersatu would field new and clean candidates under the PN banner, distinguishing them from several government leaders implicated in corruption and mining-related scandals.

“They’re mostly new faces, people with no baggage. The local voters will decide,” he said.

READ MORE: Sabah Bersatu unfazed amid calls for Muhyiddin to quit - Kiandee

Kiandee also sought to ease Sabahans’ concerns about the party’s alliance with PAS.

“There’s nothing to fear. PAS is part of Perikatan Nasional, and what matters to Sabah voters is delivery, not dogma,” he stated.

Kiandee pointed out that when PAS was in the federal government prior to the 15th general election, its leaders never spoke about implementing hudud across the nation.

“Even DAP and PKR had worked with PAS before,” he added, referring to the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat pact.

Kiandee stated that PAS has its own non-Muslim wing, indicating the Islamist party’s evolution and its effort to reach out to a wider electorate.

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