KUALA LUMPUR: The dissolution of the Sabah state assembly on Oct 6 has sparked speculation over the political line-ups for the upcoming election. Amid a parade of heavyweights, Shafie Apdal remains a central figure.
Long regarded as the quintessential son of Sabah’s East Coast, his party commanded strong support at the last election in East Coast constituencies like Semporna and Lahad Datu, which form the backbone of his political base. But public perceptions seem mixed today. And Sabah’s history of shifting political alliances adds to the uncertainty of his party’s performance.
Born in Semporna, Shafie rose through the ranks of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) before breaking away in 2016 after the 1MDB scandal to form Parti Warisan Sabah, a bold bid to end Sabah’s subordination to Peninsula politics. Riding popular discontent with the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that UMNO dominated, he led Warisan to victory in 2018 and became chief minister.
For many on the East Coast, long sidelined in state politics, his election was vindication: one of their own at the helm. Apart from supporting rural infrastructure and native land titles, his government championed the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), placing Sabah’s autonomy squarely at the heart of state discourse.
Two years later, however, defections toppled his government and, in the ensuing snap election, the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition came to power, leaving Warisan in opposition and struggling to recapture its former momentum.
In the 2020 Sabah state election, Warisan, along with its allies from the Pakatan Harapan national coalition – which now heads the federal government – won 32 out of 73 seats, with its strongest margins in East Coast districts like Bugaya, Senallang, Sulabayan and Kunak.
However, in the general election of 2022, Warisan, running independently, secured only 3 out of Sabah’s 25 parliamentary seats (including the Semporna seat that Shafie has held for 30 years), suggesting the party’s East Coast dominance did not translate federally. Heading into 2025, Warisan’s safest ground remains its East Coast strongholds of Semporna, Lahad Datu and parts of Tawau.
Source: CNA
