“When it comes to an election there is no such thing as a friendly contest, as everyone wants to win,” Johan Ariffin Samad told FMT.
He also said such an arrangement was unlikely due to the state’s “complicated political dynamics”.
The Sabah government is presently led by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, with Barisan Nasional sitting in the opposition bloc following a fallout between the two coalitions at the beginning of 2023.
Despite this, GRS and BN remain partners in the unity government at the federal level, together with Pakatan Harapan and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.
Johan, however, did not discount the possibility of the two coalitions working together again after the polls. “As the saying goes, nothing in politics is permanent,” he said.
On Tuesday, Salleh, the Sabah Umno treasurer, called for GRS and BN to work together for the polls.
Acknowledging that there would be overlapping claims to particular constituencies, he suggested a “planned, respectful arrangement” that would allow both coalitions to field candidates in certain seats.
Salleh said the understanding between collaborating coalitions must be that, “whoever wins, the seat remains part of the coalition”.
He said such an arrangement would avoid friction and lessen the risk of proxy independent candidates emerging to contest the polls.
An analyst who asked to remain anonymous, agreed with Johan, saying the arrangement was “unworkable”.
“Salleh is clearly seeking a compromise but his proposal only papers over the deep cracks in the relationship between GRS and BN,” he said.
The analyst said the relationship between GRS chairman Hajiji Noor and Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin had “broken down completely”, making any prospect of collaboration between GRS and BN “virtually impossible”.
On Tuesday, GRS secretary-general Masidi Manjun was reported by Borneo Post as saying that the coalition was likely to team up with PH, but reluctant to work with BN for the 17th state election due by December.
Bilcher Bala of Universiti Malaysia Sabah felt Salleh’s idea was not impossible to put into practice, although it could be challenging.
Sabah, he said, has a multitude of political parties, each with its own interests and voter base. Managing friendly contests would require careful planning and mutual respect, he said.
The success of such arrangements depends heavily on political maturity and the ability of the coalitions to balance competition with cooperation, said Bilcher.
“Sabah’s political landscape is more fragmented, and the concept of friendly fights might face more challenges due to the higher number of parties and the complexity of local politics.
“It requires a high level of trust and cooperation among the parties involved, which can be difficult to achieve but not impossible with the right approach.”
Bilcher’s colleague, Lee Kuok Tiung, said a friendly contest would help maintain harmony among the allies.
“This strategy helps to minimise ‘internal bleeding’ and reduces the risk of sabotage from within, particularly by members who are unable to secure candidacies.”