KULIM, KEDAH, MALAYSIA December 13, 2025 – Pakatan Harapan (PH) secretary-general and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail yesterdaydescribed the recent Sabah state election results as a resounding victory for the federal Unity Government, emphasising that voters sent a clear message prioritising local Sabah-based parties that are friendly towards the central administration.
Speaking in Kedah yesterday, Saifuddin revealed that the government had conducted an in-depth, polling stream-level analysis of the November 29 election outcomes – far beyond general commentary from political analysts.
“Unlike the analysts and observers who gave opinions on the Sabah Election, we have completed analysing the results by polling stream. Yes, by stream. Every stream. For DUN Merotai, it’s Merotai. For DUN Inanam, Inanam. For Karamunting, Karamunting. Not just voting districts, but every single stream,” he said.
The key takeaway, according to Saifuddin, is the overwhelming strength of the “Sabah for Sabahans” sentiment, with voters prioritising local parties. This benefited the two main Sabah-based coalitions: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Parti Warisan.
However, a deeper dive into head-to-head contests between GRS and Warisan revealed a more nuanced message. “There were 52 state seats where GRS and Warisan clashed directly, and the biggest winner was GRS,” Saifuddin noted.
This, he explained, indicates that while Sabahans want local representation, they prefer a Sabah party that is openly aligned and cooperative with the federal government. “When the two strongest Sabah parties competed, they chose the one more friendly to the Federal Government. That is the far more important signal,” he added.
Sabahans, Saifuddin stressed, desire respect, recognition, and a state government capable of working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Unity Government. “That is why we have held meetings at the party level and within Pakatan Harapan. We have concluded those, and next week will be at the Unity Government level.”
Despite PH securing only one seat in the election – where GRS emerged with 29 seats, Warisan 25, and other parties sharing the remainder – Saifuddin framed the overall outcome positively. “For me, this recent victory is a victory for the Unity Government. True, PH did not win many seats, but far more important is the victory of unity.”
The Sabah election saw no single coalition achieving a simple majority initially, but GRS, aligned with the federal Unity Government, successfully formed the state administration with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor sworn in for a second term.
Saifuddin concluded that Sabah voters highly value unity and strongly desire a state government that collaborates effectively with the federal Unity Government, describing this as a “very clear message.”
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