00:00An analyst said voters in Sabah could be pushed towards supporting local parties because of the perceived intervention of Pakatan Harapan Barisan National's national leaders in the Sabah state elections.
00:14Academy of Sciences Malaysia fellow Jayong Jawan said PH and BN were seen as outsiders in Sabah.
00:22He said national party leaders in Kuala Lumpur making the final call on their Sabah chapters would cost them support as it comes across as arrogant and dismissive of local voices.
00:34He also said national leaders in PQR, DAP and Amanah were being increasingly viewed with suspicion in Sabah, especially when they appear to be making decisions on behalf of Sabahans.
00:47He added that some politicians in Kuala Lumpur who are seen as fueling racial and religious tensions in West Malaysia are poorly received in Sabah, where Christians, Muslims and animists live side by side.
01:03Yesterday, the Unity Government Coalition Secretariat announced that PH and BN have agreed to work together for the Sabah polls following a meeting between their chairman, Anwar Ibrahim and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
01:15Jayong said BN and PH could find they have made a costly miscalculation in leaving the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah out of the equation.
01:26He said GRS has strong appeal for not being tied to peninsula-based agendas and would fare better contesting the state polls alone, as local parties are more acceptable to Sabahan voters.
