A Transitioning Sabah in a Changing Malaysia

Abstract

The East Malaysian state of Sabah has played an important political role in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government. In the 2013 election, the component parties of BN in the state delivered a substantial number of parliamentary seats and helped the BN hold the government, despite losing the national popular vote. This paper argues that the changing political dynamics in Sabah will not have a significant impact on the Malaysian political landscape. The paper will examine the socio-political history of Sabah and analyse the impact of this history on contemporary Sabah politics. Further, the paper will study recent political developments, such as the Lahad Datu incursion and the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah, and how these developments will shape the political landscapes of both Sabah and the larger state. The paper concludes by drawing a trajectory of Sabah's politics. It is concluded that despite Sabah's growing political importance for the BN, the political developments in Sabah will not significantly alter the landscape of Malaysian politics and that Sabah as a state will remain marginal in the larger context of Malaysian politics.