PBRS, which is more popular in the interior, is understood to have been working on expanding its influence in several areas, particularly Sabah’s west coast.

Party president Joseph Kurup has also openly stated his intention to contest for the Tuaran parliamentary seat, which has been held by Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau since 1999.

PBS and Upko were both KDM parties in BN before GE14, but left following the outcome of the elections.

Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi said PBRS still depended heavily on the BN banner, and that its individual capability had yet to be tested.

“They will be facing the possibility of multi-cornered fights, particularly against Warisan and Pakatan Harapan. PBRS’ membership is not that large and its divisions aren’t strong yet,” he told FMT.

This, he said, was evident in how PBRS only had one parliamentary seat, held by Pensiangan MP Arthur Joseph Kurup, who is also the deputy works minister.

However, Sabah UiTM senior lecturer Tony Paridi Bagang said PBRS could regain the ethnic community’s support for BN now that it had the coalition’s vast election machinery and funding to itself being the only KDM member.

He said Arthur was a young leader who could give PBRS the edge in winning over young voters, particularly in the rural areas.

He said PBRS’ main challenge would be determining its candidates for the KDM seats, as a leader’s popularity and personality played a big role in wooing the community’s support.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Lee Kuok Tiung said PBRS should first study its capability of winning before asking for many seats in GE15.

He said the party should take its “total loss” in the Sabah state election in 2020 into account, after it failed to win any of the four seats it contested.