Together yet apart: Harapan partners pursue separate goals in Sabah polls

Summary

• As Sabah heads to the polls, Pakatan Harapan partners DAP, PKR, and Upko are announcing their candidates separately, signalling a shift from past coordination to a more individualistic approach.

• The change reflects both internal recalibration and rising local assertiveness, particularly after Upko’s Ewon Benedick became Sabah Harapan chairperson.

What was once a show of coordination has now become a seemingly quiet assertion of independence.

As Sabah heads toward its 17th state election on Nov 29, Pakatan Harapan partners DAP, PKR, and the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) will announce their candidates separately, each setting its own stage under the same coalition banner.

DAP Sabah will unveil its line-up today, followed by PKR tomorrow, at the Sabah International Convention Centre.

Upko, Harapan’s smallest but symbolically pivotal partner, will reveal its list on Nov 13, just two days before nomination day on Nov 15.

The staggered announcements hint at a coalition still united in purpose, yet quietly moving to its own rhythm.

Insiders say the staggered rollouts reflect not division, but a recalibration, with each party asserting its local identity while remaining part of the federal coalition.

“The lists were reviewed again and again, but each party has its own rhythm. This approach gives everyone space, and that is crucial in Sabah politics,” a PKR source told Malaysiakini.

Turning point after leadership change

The shift began quietly on Dec 1, 2024, when Ewon Benedick of Upko was elected Sabah Harapan chairperson, replacing PKR’s Christina Liew.

The appointment, though described as democratic, marked a subtle turning point.

Under Liew, Sabah Harapan often spoke with one voice. However, after Ewon’s election, its component parties began charting their own paths, issuing separate statements and strategies.

PKR insiders privately concede that they viewed the chairpersonship as “naturally theirs”, given PKR’s federal prominence under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Upko, however, saw Ewon’s rise as overdue recognition of the growing “Sabah for Sabahans” sentiment, a reminder that national alliances must respect local leadership.

While cordial on the surface, the transition quietly rebalanced Sabah Harapan into three distinct partners, each managing its own turf within the broader unity government alliance.

Amanah, the smallest member, remains largely on the sidelines.

DAP’s lineup and its uneasy partnership

Sabah DAP will contest in Tanjung Papat, Luyang, Tanjung Aru, Likas, Elopura, Kepayan, and Sri Tanjong, mostly urban constituencies, but each symbolically significant.

Its decision to field a candidate in Tanjung Aru, however, has drawn attention, as Upko is also eyeing the same seat.

In the interior, DAP will field former Tenom MP and current senator Noorita Sual in Kemabong, after conceding Liawan to BN’s Umno, following months of negotiation, a move party officials described as strategic and data-driven.

“It wasn’t emotional. Noorita still has strong grassroots support, and the numbers favoured Kemabong,” a DAP official said.

But DAP’s challenges run deeper than seat coordination.

On Dec 10 last year, the party’s central leadership instructed Sabah DAP to review its working relationship with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) following the Sabah mining scandal, a controversy surrounding the alleged mismanagement and opaque deals involving Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd and the Natural Resources Office.

The directive came amid public anger and calls for accountability after leaked videos appeared to implicate state-linked figures.

READ MORE: Fresh video links Star deputy president to RM300k bribe

Although Harapan and GRS form part of the federal coalition government, their cooperation in Sabah is a local arrangement that is pragmatic yet fragile.

Sabah DAP decided to remain within the GRS-led state government, but stressed that its continued partnership hinged on accountability and transparency.

“At the federal level, cooperation is necessary. But in Sabah, integrity comes first,” a DAP insider said.

PKR’s renewal and Upko’s defiance

Within PKR, several names proposed by the state leadership were replaced by the national office to make way for professional and new-generation candidates aligned with the party’s renewal drive.

Among the names already circulating are Ruji Ubi, a former senior civil servant, and Hafez Yamani Musa, former Sipitang MP and son of the Sabah governor Musa Aman, who will contest in Sindumin.

PKR’s full slate will be unveiled on Sunday night, with the party expected to contest in a mix of urban and semi-rural seats, including Inanam, Kiulu, and Limbahau, where “friendly contests” with Upko remain possible.

“This isn’t rivalry. It’s about putting credible candidates forward and keeping the coalition relevant,” a PKR source said.

Initially, Upko was offered only Kadamaian and Moyog, but the party pushed back, asserting its right to broader representation. Its Nov 13 announcement will anchor its “Sabah first” campaign, focused on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and Sabah’s constitutional rights.

Ewon is expected to defend Kadamaian, while the party is also tipped to field candidates in Moyog, Limbahau, Tamparuli, and Kuamut.

Upko’s assertiveness stems partly from frustration over how the federal government handled Sabah’s 40 percent revenue entitlement.

The party was dismayed when Harapan leaders hesitated to fully back a review of the state’s lost years of unpaid entitlements.

Ewon, who publicly tied his credibility to that cause, even hinted he would resign from his federal cabinet post if Putrajaya appealed the High Court ruling that favoured Sabah.

It is also a concern whether Upko may abandon the alliance at the last minute, giving them the choice to shift political alliances should the state election conclude with no clear winner.

Upko had done the same in the 2018 general election, abandoning BN and supporting Warisan, resulting in BN’s defeat and the formation of the Warisan-led Sabah government at the time.

Amanah, which has already confirmed Julpikar Ab Mijan as its sole candidate for Sulabayan, remains the only Harapan component without overlapping claims.

Sabah goes to the polls on Nov 29.

COMMENT | Sabah's significant stakes

Ahmad: BN ready to back Harapan, face off against 'traitors' in Sabah polls

SAPP names six candidates for Sabah polls

Young voters expected to decide Sabah polls results - research centre

Sabah DAP's top 2 set to lead fight against Warisan's Wong

Hajiji: Give GRS new mandate to drive development plans