Sabah UMNO's identity crisis and the cost of being an easily-swayed political ‘lalang'

Focus Malaysia

22-07-2025

SABAH UMNO wants Sabahans to believe that it has always been a 'local boy', has deep roots in the Bornean soil and that its leaders are true sons of the land.
This is certainly a bold move from a party long seen as an extension of peninsula politics, especially by those who still remember how the phrase 'Sabah for Sabahans' was once dismissed as insular, unpatriotic or even divisive.
But politics – like the jungle wind – often blows in new directions; for Sabah UMNO at this very moment, the breeze seems to be blowing towards survival at any cost.
Embracing the slogan it once mocked
In a recent statement, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, UMNO's war room strategist and supreme council member, remarked hat UMNO should not be viewed solely as a Peninsula-based party.
'UMNO in Sabah is no longer a Malayan party. When a party has existed for 34 to 35 years in the state, it is no longer accurate to call it a Parti Malaya. Its leadership today is made up entirely of local Sabahans,' he enthused.
This is a striking change in tone as once upon a time, Sabah UMNO was viewed as the regional arm of a national powerhouse.
Its central leadership in Kuala Lumpur called the shots while state leaders – even senior ones – were often expected to toe the line.
But as UMNO's influence continues to wane across Malaysia, the Sabah chapter seems to be scrambling to find a new identity. One that appeals to the growing grassroots sentiment that Sabah's fate should be decided by Sabahans, not Putrajaya.
The irony is that this same sentiment, 'Sabah for Sabahans,' was long treated with suspicion by UMNO and its allies – painted as parochial and even anti-national.
But now, with its influence diluted and voter trust on shaky ground, the party appears ready to adopt the very rhetoric it once ridiculed.
This shift, however, is not just about public messaging. It's about political survival.
Fractures below the surface
The internal cracks in Sabah UMNO are already visible. The party's Sabah deputy chief Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan recently broke ranks to criticise the infamous Langkah Kinabalu. It was a decision by Sabah UMNO to pull out of the state government in early 2022.
In Abdul Rahman's view, it was a strategic misstep that has 'greatly weakened' the party, leading to a loss of credibility and a wave of defections. Instead of making a principled stand, he argued, party leaders should have resigned if dissatisfied, not torpedoed the entire coalition from within.
These are not small words. Coming from someone of Rahman Dahlan's stature, they point to unresolved tension within the party. It's something that Sabah UMNO's current leadership is keen to downplay.
In response, state chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin issued a carefully worded statement by contending that while differing views are respected, the party has since moved forward through consensus. But consensus doesn't always mean unity. Sometimes, it's just plain silence.
The broader question is what does Sabah UMNO actually stand for today? Is it still the same party that believed in top-down politics and centralised decision-making?
A party in the wind
Right now, the signals are mixed. The 'Sabahanisation' of UMNO feels more like re-branding than re-invention.
It's seen as an attempt to stay relevant in a political landscape that has dramatically shifted. Local parties like PBS and STAR – who are part of the ruling GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) state government – have anchored themselves in Sabahan identity and issues.
For them, the 'Sabah for Sabahans' sentiment wasn't just a slogan. It was the foundation of their political existence.
But for Sabah UMNO, it's a costume worn out of necessity. This lalang a.k.a. sitting on fence mentality of shifting positions depending on political winds has long haunted Malaysian politics with Sabah UMNO being no exception.
Their decision to leave the Sabah state government in 2022 was framed as a stand on principle. Now, it's being quietly acknowledged as a mistake. UMNO's embrace of Sabah-centric rhetoric is framed as organic evolution but in truth, it smells more like desperation.
Voters have lived through a decade of instability, crossovers, defections and backdoor deals. The old model of loyalty to party brands no longer holds. Sabahans are now asking sharper questions such as who fights for Sabah's rights? Who listens? Who flip-flops when it's convenient?
Sabah UMNO is running out of time to answer those questions convincingly. If the party hopes to reclaim its footing, it will have to do more than tweaking its messaging.
It must show through action that it has shed its peninsula-first instincts, that it can be trusted to put Sabah first even when it's politically costly.
Until then, Sabah UMNO remains a party adrift – caught between its past and its future – with no clear anchor but the pursuit of power. – July 22, 2025
Main image credit: Sabah News