Sabah Umno has asserted that it must not be sidelined or treated as a subordinate force in the formation of the new state administration, with the party’s leadership emphasising that its six seats now hold the decisive balance of power. Lahad Datu Umno division chief Sharif Musa Sharif Mabul stressed that Umno’s role has become pivotal following the state election results, cautioning both allies and rivals against underestimating the party’s influence.
Sharif highlighted that the six seats won by Barisan Nasional (BN) have placed Umno in the centre of post-election negotiations, giving it the leverage to determine which coalition ultimately forms the government. He remarked that Umno does not view itself as a party begging for relevance, but rather one with the political capital to shape the direction of Sabah’s governance. His comments came as online criticism mounted against BN’s involvement in the new coalition government, with some quarters arguing that GRS could have formed a majority without their participation.
According to Sharif, such criticisms ignore the arithmetic of the assembly. He stated that every major political bloc required BN’s support to secure a stable majority, making BN’s contribution the anchor of the new administration under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. He pointed out that the six seats could have aligned with alternative coalitions, including Warisan, indicating that Umno had options and was not entering the government out of desperation.
Sharif further suggested that GRS’s decision to bring BN into the fold stemmed from necessity rather than preference, implying that the coalition had no comfortable path to forming the government without BN’s numbers. He urged political leaders and the public to stop portraying Umno and BN as dependent participants when the election results clearly demonstrated their leverage.
The results from the state polls left Sabah’s political landscape highly fragmented. GRS emerged with 29 seats, followed closely by Parti Warisan with 25. BN secured six seats, while Upko won three. Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku and Parti Kesejahteraan Rakyat Malaysia claimed two and one seat respectively, and five independents also won their contests. Pakatan Harapan captured just one seat out of the 21 it contested.
Hajiji was sworn in as chief minister in the early hours of Sunday morning, even as uncertainty lingered over which parties formed his majority. With the numbers finely balanced, Sharif’s assertion reflected Umno’s belief that its role is central to ensuring political stability in Sabah’s next chapter.
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