No chance for PBM at Sabah polls, says analyst

PETALING JAYA: Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) will find it hard to make an impact at the upcoming Sabah election as it does not share the same popularity as its counterparts in the state, says a political analyst.

Last Saturday, PBM president Larry Sng said the party will be making its debut in Sabah at the next state election, due before the end of next year.

PBM plans to field candidates in the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) majority seats of Penampang, Ranau, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Pensiangan, Tuaran and Putatan.

Speaking to FMT, Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said PBM’s chances of winning seats in Sabah are slim, especially as Julau MP Sng is their only elected representative.

“PBM has no seats other than Sng’s. I believe they want to contest in Sabah just to test the waters,” he said.

“The real fight in Sabah will be among the bigger parties like Warisan, Umno and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.

“I think PBM will lose their deposits if they contest in Sabah. It’s better for them to focus on Sng’s seat or just on Sarawak,” Awang Azman said.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs also predicted that PBM will face an uphill task in establishing its presence among Sabah voters and is unlikely to win any seat.

When announcing PBM’s foray into Sabah last Saturday, Sng said that despite being part of the unity government, the party was not looking to collaborate with other parties or groups at the upcoming polls.

Oh expressed reservations as to whether such tie-ups would even get off the ground.

“Why would others want to join forces with them?” he said.

The current Sabah government’s term will expire in October 2025.

However, Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor has hinted at the possibility of the state election being held as early as this year.