Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) heavy losses in the 2025 Sabah state election have reignited debates over federal overreach, with former minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli’s earlier cautions emerging as a stark reflection of what unfolded at the polls. PKR managed to secure only one seat out of the 12 it contested, while ally DAP was completely wiped out, losing every constituency it defended and sought to capture.
For Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who personally led an intensive campaign throughout Sabah, the strategy has now been widely viewed as a political miscalculation. His active presence on the ground, intended to strengthen PH’s footing, instead appeared to intensify sentiments among Sabah voters that federal leaders were imposing themselves on local dynamics.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) emerged as the dominant bloc with 29 seats, followed closely by Warisan with 25, leaving PH almost politically stranded. The results painted a clear picture: Sabahans continue to reject political narratives perceived as “Malaya-centric,” reflecting longstanding frustration with what many see as condescension from the peninsula.
Rafizi, who stepped down from the Cabinet earlier in the year amid internal PKR strains, had repeatedly warned that involving the Prime Minister so directly in the state campaign would carry dangerous consequences. He had pointed to widespread sentiment in Sabah questioning federal attitudes, noting that locals often felt belittled or overlooked by leaders from the peninsula.
His central argument was simple: once the PM becomes the face of a state campaign, any defeat becomes directly associated with the federal government. That risk has now materialised with full force, placing Anwar in a politically vulnerable position and intensifying scrutiny of his leadership.
The crowds at Anwar’s rallies failed to translate into votes. Instead, they triggered pushback, with Rafizi previously highlighting how Sabahans feel fatigued by being spoken down to. That mood only solidified during the election period, and the final results underscored how deeply these sentiments run.
PH’s losses, especially DAP’s wipeout, reveal broader voter dissatisfaction tied not only to campaign missteps but also to unresolved issues such as state rights, resource control, and unfulfilled reform commitments. The outcome has now emboldened critics within PH, many of whom argue that ignoring local leadership and sensitivities proved costly.
Rafizi’s earlier advice—to allow Sabahans to chart their own political direction without federal interference—has now resurfaced as a pivotal assessment of what went wrong. The election outcome marks a major setback for Anwar just as he prepares for upcoming federal challenges, raising fresh questions about his coalition’s strategy and its ability to read the political ground beyond the peninsula.
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