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WARISAN declared that a return to single-party rule would be Sabah’s “best offer” for good governance, arguing that decades of shifting coalitions and power-sharing deals have weakened state leadership and diluted accountability.
Wira Warisan chief Mohammad Norizhuan Awang said the party’s decision to contest all 73 seats in the 29 November state election and govern without forming a post-election coalition was rooted in the belief that a unified administration would deliver leaner and more efficient government.
“This is what Warisan is offering, a Sabah government that answers only to Sabahans. A single, principled administration can focus fully on development, education, healthcare and economic opportunity without waiting for approval from political partners or outside forces,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Single-party rule is not new to Sabah’s history.
From the 1960s through the 1980s, the state experienced strong, centralised rule under parties such as Usno, Berjaya, and PBS, each governing with clear majorities before the rise of coalition politics and federal interventions reshaped Sabah’s political landscape.
Those single-party governments, said Norizhuan, provided stability and a clear sense of direction in state administration, even as they faced their own internal challenges.
“When Sabah was governed by a single, homegrown party, decisions were made quickly and according to local realities. What we see today are fragmented coalitions where policies are often stalled by negotiations and competing interests,” he said.
Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal had earlier reaffirmed that the party would govern on its own if given a full mandate, saying it would “partner only with the people.”
While reaffirming respect for federal-state cooperation, Norizhuan said Warisan’s autonomy-first stance was meant to ensure that state affairs were shaped by Sabahans themselves, “by those who truly love this land, regardless of race, religion or background.”
He added that Warisan had demonstrated its cooperative spirit by being among the first to support Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in forming the unity government after the 2022 general election.
Still, he argued that the coming state election presents Sabahans with a rare chance to choose a unified, homegrown government that can act decisively on development, infrastructure, and social priorities without being constrained by inter-party bargaining.
“We are not rejecting federal cooperation; we are rejecting dependency. Warisan wants a Sabah administration that stands on its own feet, efficient and accountable,” he said.
Norizhuan urged voters to give Warisan a clear mandate to “govern as one,” saying the state’s progress depends on stable leadership with a single vision.
“With the full support of the people, Warisan can form a government that is stable, clean, and truly based on the will of Sabahans,” he said. — 28 October 2025