THE recent 17th Sabah election has revealed a clear voter preference for local parties that are aligned with the federal government, according to Unity Government joint election director Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the outcome, which saw Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and its coalition partners narrowly outpacing Warisan, reflected a strong “Sabah for Sabahans” sentiment, but voters ultimately supported parties viewed as friendly to Putrajaya.
“When we analysed the data further, we found that whenever the two Sabah-based parties, GRS and Warisan, went head-to-head, GRS emerged the biggest winner. In 52 state constituencies where GRS and Warisan contested against each other, GRS recorded clear victories.
“The message from Sabahans is clear: yes, Sabah for Sabahans, but the Sabah party they chose is one that works well with the federal government,” he told reporters following the launch of the Back to School Aid programme today.
Saifuddin described the election outcome as a broader success for the unity government, emphasising that collective unity outweighed individual party gains. “Yes, for PH, we didn’t win much, but what is most important is that unity wins,” he said.
In the November 29 election, GRS secured 29 seats, Warisan won 25, and Barisan Nasional claimed six. Other constituencies were taken by independents, Upko, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, Perikatan Nasional, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat, and Pakatan Harapan. A total of 1,148,476 voters cast their ballots, representing a turnout of 64.35 per cent.
Separately, speaking at the same Back to School 2026 programme, Saifuddin also stressed the importance of the Malay language as the nation’s official language, emphasising that its mastery is mandatory for all Malaysians, regardless of proficiency in other languages.
“If you are a Malaysian citizen, you must first agree on this principle. What is it? That Malay is the language of unity, the official language, and the language of knowledge that must be mastered by all Malaysians. Even if Malaysian parents send their children to international schools where the medium of instruction is English, mastery of Malay remains a fundamental requirement. This is the first principle, and everyone must agree,” he said.
He clarified that once proficiency in Malay is secured, citizens are free to learn other languages. “Whether you want to master Arabic, Tamil, Chinese, or English, it is welcome, no problem. But the first principle must be agreed upon first. The third principle is that we do not want any one community to champion only its own language. That is not suitable in the context of our country. That is all,” he added.
Saifuddin also acknowledged the practical importance of community languages while underscoring that they should not overshadow the national language or serve as the sole marker of cultural identity. “Is it important for a community to learn and master its own language well? Certainly. But what we want to avoid is making that the only language pursued for identity purposes. These three principles are very clear,” he added. - December 13, 2025
