‘Borneo bloc’ will offer greater bargaining power, says analyst

2026-03-02 - 01:43

Analyst Lee Kuok Tiung said there is technically already an informal cooperation between GRS, led by Hajiji Noor, and GPS, led by Abang Johari Openg, through the unity government. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: The formation of a united “Borneo bloc” between Sabah and Sarawak parties would strengthen their bargaining power at the federal level, an analyst says. Dick Lembang Dugun of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak suggested that local parties in East Malaysia join this bloc to bolster efforts to safeguard the positions of the Bornean states. “This cooperation should lead to a shared manifesto to push for the resolution of matters under the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he told FMT. Dugun said this should be followed by a transparent mechanism and terms of reference to track the manifesto’s progress. “For the meantime, the main thing they should fight for is the allocation of more parliamentary seats to both states,” he added. Two days ago, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) deputy secretary-general Armizan Mohd Ali called for Sabah and Sarawak to work towards forming a united bloc that would help shape the federal government and drive its core agenda. Sabah and Sarawak have 56 seats in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat – Sabah 25 and Sarawak 31. Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Lee Kuok Tiung said Armizan’s call was timely given that no single party or coalition currently dominates Malaysia’s political arena, citing the results of the 2022 general election which ended in a hung Parliament. He said there was technically already an informal cooperation between GRS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) through the unity government. However, he said that unlike GPS in Sarawak, GRS did not dominate parliamentary seats in Sabah. Lee added that GRS would need to aspire to do so in the 16th general election to have the same bargaining power as GPS. “GRS itself needs a greater number of seats for such a bloc to be strong. Right now, Sabah needs a political model built on trust, not backstabbing.” With the Borneo bloc expected to be a key player in post-election talks, Lee said a secretariat should be formed to coordinate among themselves and prevent contradictions between both states, which he said had happened before. He added that the bloc should only agree to back a West Malaysian coalition that signs a written agreement to accede to its demands concerning parliamentary seats and the annual special grant. He was referring to Sabah’s push for the return of 40% of revenue collected from the state, and demands that one-third of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat be allocated to East Malaysia. “The Bornean states aren’t asking for anything extra, they’re just demanding what’s rightfully theirs.”