Sabah's always had federal, state alliance, says Salleh

Free Malaysia Today

25-05-2025

Former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak said collaboration between state and federal governments is not just an option, it is a necessity. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : The debate over whether Sabah's development would be better under local parties or national parties should not arise, says its former chief minister Salleh Said Keruak.
He said this is because the Sabah government has almost always been aligned with the federal government.
'Since the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Sabah's state government has almost always been aligned with the federal government, either through national coalitions like Perikatan (Alliance) and Barisan Nasional (BN), or through direct political cooperation.
'Usno, which led Sabah from 1963 to 1975, then Berjaya, from 1976 to 1985, were local parties, but they were always part of Perikatan (Alliance) and later BN,' he said in a Facebook post.
He added that when Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) defeated Berjaya in the state polls in 1985, they too joined BN to ensure the federal and state alliance continued for the good of the people.
'But in 1990, PBS left BN and aligned itself with the opposition coalition Gagasan Rakyat,' he said referring to the federal opposition coalition led by Semangat 46 under Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
'This marked a rare period when Sabah was not aligned with the federal government, but it was shortlived and politically tense.'
Salleh, who is also Sabah Umno treasurer, said with Umno's entry into Sabah in the early 90s, BN returned to power in 1994 and maintained their grip on the state until the 2018 general election (GE14) but the state benefited during those 24 years.
'When Sabah was under BN, many major development projects were carried out through close collaboration with the federal government,' he said.
He added that this continued after GE14, because with BN losing power in Sabah and Putrajaya, Pakatan Harapan helped Warisan to lead the new state administration.
'Though Warisan was a local party, it worked closely with the federal leadership under prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad,' he said.
'This continued following the 2020 state election won by the new coalition, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), comprising Bersatu, PBS, STAR, and SAPP.'
He added that BN, which was part of the new Perikatan Nasional-led federal government since March 2020, decided to cooperate with GRS to form the state government.
'This again reflected a willingness to align with the federal government for stability,' Salleh said.
'Collaboration between state and federal levels is not just an option, it is a necessity. What truly matters is effective leadership, political stability, and the ability to work together.'