In the recently held May 5 general elections, Barisan Nasional would have lost its two-thirds majority in the Sabah State Assembly if we really have a “one man, one vote, one value” system.

With 55.78 per cent of the total votes cast for the 60 Sabah State Assembly seats, i.e. 427,890 votes, Barisan Nasional should have only secured 34 State Assembly seats instead of winning 48 seats, which is 80% of the Sabah state assembly seats.

The three Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, DAP and PAS which contested all the 60 State Assembly seats secured 248,185 votes or 32.36% of the total votes cast, and which should won 20 State Assembly seats instead of just 11 (which is 18.33% of the 60 seats).

Star fielded 47 State Assembly candidates, winning one seat, and netted 5.63% of the votes cast while SAPP fielded 41 State Assembly seats, netting 28,305 votes or 3.69% ov the total votes cast, without winning a single seat.

Although a lively and strong Opposition presence has now been restored to the Sabah State Assembly after an absence of two decades, with 11 State Assemblymen (DAP 4 and PKR 7) from Pakatan Rakyat and one from Star, the May 5 general elections is an expensive lesson for the Opposition in Sabah, for the Barisan Nasional would have lost in another four parliamentary and eight state assembly seats if not for split votes among the Opposition candidates.

The four parliamentary constituencies are Keningau, Kota Marudu, Pensiangan and Tenon and the eight state assembly seats are Elopura, Melalap, Kundasang, Liawan, Paginatan, Kiulu, Nabawan and Tambunan.

DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders are analysing the results of the Sabah general election 2013 general elections to draw up an action plan to begin follow-up campaigns to win the hearts and minds of the majority of Sabahans, for the next general elections will be a double battle for UBAH – both in Putrajaya as well as the Sabah state government.

What is noteworthy in the Sabah election results include:

(I) The defeat of UPKO President and Cabinet Minister Bernard Dompok in Penampang parliamentary seat;

(ii) The scraping through of PBS President Joseph Pairin Kitingan both in his parliamentary seat of Keningau and state assembly seat of Tambunan because of split Opposition votes, a sad decline for the PBS President who had raised the hopes of Sabahans as a whole and the Kadazan-Dusun-Muruts in particular in the great and historic Tambunan by-election of December 1984, with Joseph Pairin reduced to a pale shadow of his triumphant victory 30 years ago that now he had to win Tambunan and Keningau on a minority vote!

(iii) The victory of PKR’s Jeremy Malajad Malazad in Kadamaian, defeating Herbert Lagadan. This should be a conclusive and categorical message to the Sabah State government that it should heed the voice of the people, in particular with regard to the strong objections to RM450 million Tambatuon dam project.

(iv) The results of the SAPP candidates, in particular in Tawau.

The new Sabah State Assembly members will be sworn in on 13th June and the Sabah State Assembly will meet from June 17 to 20, promising a new era of Sabah politics.

DAP State Secretary and Assemblyman for Kepayan Dr. Edwin Bosi will be the DAP whip.