After Warisan broke BN's hold, Pulau Gaya voters face new crossroads

SABAH POLLS | For decades, the communities of Pulau Gaya voted consistently for BN, forming one of the coalition’s most reliable support bases in coastal Kota Kinabalu.

That pattern shifted in 2018 when Warisan secured the island, as part of the Tanjong Aru seat, amid a wider political transition in Sabah.

As Sabah heads towards a nine-cornered contest in Tanjong Aru, voters on the island say they are reassessing their political loyalties.

Warisan retains support in parts of the island, but conversations across Pulau Gaya suggest a more divided political mood shaped by long-term hardship and rising expectations.

Many now speak of the need for a stronger Sabah-led political front, drawing comparisons with Sarawak’s locally driven model of governance.

Pulau Gaya, once a single settlement known as Kampung Gaya Asli, has long reflected the state’s political divides.

Over time, especially during the BN period, the island fractured into six kampungs: Lok Urai, Kasuapan, Lobong, Tanjung Sendian, Gaya Asli and Torong Logong, each with its own networks and pockets of support, surprisingly, this time, including for Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star), which many associate with a strong Kadazan-Dusun base in the interior.

The island’s population includes Bajau Ubian, Kadazan and coastal communities, as well as refugees who fled unrest in the southern Philippines in the 1970s and, later, undocumented migrants.

These demographic shifts contributed to a lasting stigma, with mainland residents often describing Pulau Gaya as unsafe or crime-ridden, an image residents say no longer reflects present-day reality.

Local leadership and calls for autonomy

Community figure Saimah Abdul Salam, who has lived through several political cycles, said there is a growing preference for local decision-making in this election.

“We are not against the people from Malaya. We just want leadership from here. Like Sarawak. How peaceful they are, how successful they are. We want to be like that too,” she said.

The opinions of community leaders hold major sway over islanders, Awang Rosdi, 53, said.

“We follow the leader in the kampung. If he can bring our voice up, we will follow him. We do not need big campaigning,” Awang said.

But he noted rising discussion about Sabah’s political autonomy.

“People talk now. They say Sabah should be like Sarawak, with local parties together. For too long, we have depended on Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

However, such lofty, idealistic talk is often hampered by more pressing realities.

Awang, like many Pulau Gaya residents, makes a living from catching fish, and business is in sharp decline.

“I became a fisherfolk when I was young. My father and grandfather were fishers too. But the fish are fewer now,” he said.

Basic services

Dwindling catch means lower income, and on this island, that leads to other major problems.

Although the island sits only minutes from Kota Kinabalu, basic services have progressed slowly.

Electricity reached Pulau Gaya only when Shafie Apdal was the federal rural and regional development minister under BN.

Residents said progress since then has been limited. Water supply remains the island’s most persistent problem.

Despite the installation of meter pipes, treated water often flows inconsistently, sometimes only every two days. When taps run dry, families rely on boat vendors transporting water from the mainland.

“One drum is RM20. It lasts two days. In one week, I spend RM60 to RM80 just for water,” said fisher Azlan Nimatai, who added that shortages have affected the island for more than two decades.

It’s a cost that Azlan, who earns between RM10 and RM100 a day depending on weather conditions, can barely afford.

This, in turn, impacts the future of his family. The financial pressure has forced his children, who rely on paid boat rides to get to school, to drop out.

“They stopped at Standard Six and Standard Five. I want them to go back to school, but with our income, it is difficult,” he said.

Education woes

Education woes in Pulau Gaya are one of the issues that Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for Tanjong Aru, Chan Foong Hin, is pledging to resolve.

After visiting the island, the Kota Kinabalu MP and federal deputy plantation and commodities minister pledged free boat transport for students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Gaya and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pulau Gaya.

“This initiative aims to ensure students can travel safely, smoothly and without additional cost,” he said.

Chan - who has made at least three campaign stops on the island - also defended the federal government’s approval of a RM260 million consolidated school complex for the island.

The new development will replace the existing over-water schools, which are frequently damaged by storms and coastal erosion.

It will provide 36 classrooms for each school, along with a main hall and sports facilities.

Chan is looking to wrest Tanjong Aru from two-term incumbent and Warisan vice-president Junz Wong, in a nine-cornered contest.

Sabah heads to the polls tomorrow.

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