PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) leaders believe the coalition’s unexpected gains in Sabah have opened a path towards capturing Penang, a state long regarded as an impregnable Pakatan Harapan (PH) stronghold.
PN Penang chairman Datuk Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai said the Sabah election results, which saw DAP and Parti Amanah Negara wiped out entirely, had “rejuvenated” the coalition.
“PN is now energised by what happened in Sabah,” he told *Utusan Melayu*, noting that both PH components lost every seat to Warisan and the local party coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
Lau argued that the Sabah outcome reflected a wider political cycle in Malaysia, suggesting that voter sentiment could just as easily swing against PH in Penang.
He said the result also demonstrated PAS’s resilience despite attempts to portray the Islamist party as “an extremist version of Islamic-based parties”.
Political analysts noted similarities between DAP’s standing in Sabah and its internal dynamics in Penang, pointing to factionalism as a key weakness.
“The minute any party is split, it is weakened from the inside and can easily crack,” one analyst said. “DAP has no one else to blame but themselves as they could not close ranks as easily as before. Perhaps the jostling of power hinders rather than strengthens.”
Analyst Annuar Bakti said DAP “must reform itself before the next general election”, expected as early as 2027, describing the Sabah outcome as a wake-up call. It is the first time since 2004 that DAP has failed to win a single seat in Sabah’s 73-seat state assembly.
Assoc Prof Dr Syaza Shukri said early signs had already indicated that urban voters—traditionally reliable PH-DAP supporters—were becoming increasingly disillusioned with the coalition’s leadership of the national unity government.
Still, she admitted that “the scale of the defeat—a complete wipeout—was beyond what I expected.”
“To me, it reflects the current mood toward the PH-led administration, especially with recent scandals shaping public perception,” she said. “
“This is undeniably embarrassing and disheartening for DAP. What it shows is that DAP–PH can no longer assume their traditional base will always be there. These voters are rational, issue-driven, and they have made it clear that loyalty is not unconditional.”
Syaza added that both national and local dynamics contributed to the outcome.
Merdeka Centre Programme Director Ibrahim Suffian described DAP’s collapse as part of a “longer-term trend”, saying the party’s decline in Sabah had not happened suddenly.
He noted a substantial swing among Chinese voters away from both DAP and Warisan.
“DAP has been heavily dependent on Chinese voters and this election clearly showed a major Chinese swing against both DAP and Warisan,” he said. “Their frustration with the state government, from the governor’s appointment to corruption allegations, has been simmering for a long time.”
The Sabah results have revived PN’s hopes of challenging PH dominance in Penang, setting the stage for a fiercer contest ahead of the next general election. - November 30, 2025
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