Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has warned political parties in Sabah against arrogance, reminding them that no single party today is capable of forming a government on its own.

His comments follow growing backlash from several Sabah political leaders over his May 12 criticism of the Sabah for Sabahans slogan.

Zahid said current political realities highlight the need for coalition governments—a trend already evident in Malaysia’s 15th General Election (GE15) held in November 2022.

He noted that no party managed to secure an outright majority in that election.

“Even though Umno is the largest party in the country, we did not win many seats at that time. Yet, even with a small number of seats, we contributed to the formation of the current government,” he told reporters in Sepanggar on Saturday, 17 May.

Zahid cautioned that Sabah could face a similar political scenario after its upcoming state election, saying it would be wiser for parties to work together rather than assume they could govern alone.

“I see the same trend possibly happening in Sabah. No party should feel too big or too dominant to the point of thinking it doesn’t need to work with others,” he added.

Zahid also backed the views of Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, stressing that Malaysia was built on federal unity—not rigid regionalism—and that progress requires cooperation between states.

On 12 May, Zahid described the Sabah for Sabahans slogan as inconsistent with the Unity Government’s vision, which he said prioritises inclusivity and close federal-state collaboration.

His remarks sparked criticism from several Sabah political figures, including Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.

Jeffrey defended the slogan, saying it represents Sabah’s rightful place in the Malaysian federation and is not divisive. He stressed that Sabah joined Malaysia in 1963 as an equal partner and should be recognised as such.

Meanwhile, Zahid clarified that discussions on a potential BN-PH Plus Plus alliance remain ongoing and have yet to be finalised.

He reiterated that Umno and BN remain open to collaboration in the interest of ensuring effective governance in Sabah.

“We have never shut the door, and of course, our friends in other parties have not shut theirs either. We are open to forming any partnership to face PRN17,” he said.

Recently, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor declared that the coalition was prepared to contest the state election alone, following an official announcement on 9 May that PH and BN would form an alliance in Sabah.

However, after meeting with PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Tawau on Sunday, 11 May, Hajiji indicated that GRS remained open to working with BN-PH—provided GRS would lead any such alliance.

Hajiji had earlier expressed interest in PH-GRS cooperation while seeking to exclude Sabah BN, whose leader Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin he had fallen out with in 2023. — May 17, 2025