No such thing as friendly contest in Sabah, says activist

Free Malaysia Today

Johan Ariffin Samad says Sabah’s political dynamics are ‘complicated’, and that everyone wants to win.   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/06/13/no-such-thing-as-friendly-contest-in-sabah-says-activist   Laporan Lanjut:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/06/13/pertandingan-mesra-tak-mungkin-berlaku-di-sabah-kata-aktivis   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTNews #PRNSabah #JohanAriffinSamad #SallehSaidKeruak

Transcript

00:01A Sabah activist has dismissed a call by former Chief Minister Saleh Saeed Kuruwak for parties contesting the upcoming state election to make allowance for friendly fights in certain seats.

00:13Johan Arifin Samad said there was no such thing as a friendly contest in elections, adding that Sabah's complicated political dynamics was a major obstacle to such arrangements.

00:24Presently, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah leads the state government, while Barca Nacional sits in the opposition bloc.

00:32Despite this, both parties remain partners at the federal level with Pakatan Harapan and Gabungan Party Sarawak.

00:38On Tuesday, Saleh, the Sabah UMNO treasurer, called for GRS and BN to work together in the polls, suggesting a planned, respectful arrangement where both coalitions could field candidates,

00:50with the understanding that whichever party wins, the seat stays within the coalition.

00:55An analyst, who asked to remain anonymous, said Saleh's proposal papers over the deep rift between GRS and BN,

01:02noting that ties between GRS Chairman Haji J. Noor and Sabah UMNO chief Bung Mokhtar Radin have broken down completely, making collaboration virtually impossible.

01:13Bill Trebala of University Malaysia Sabah said Saleh's idea was not impossible, but said its success depends on political maturity

01:21and the ability to balance competition with cooperation.

01:25Bilger's colleague Lee Kwok-tiong said a friendly contest could minimize internal bleeding and reduce the risk of sabotage from within,

01:33particularly by members who are unable to secure candidacies.

01:37Natasha Bust, FMT.

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