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Connected: Preparing for Sabah’s 2020 polls, which were triggered by the change in the Federal Government, underlining the ties between federal and state politics. Filepic/The Star HOW does a brother defeat his siblings? He calls on his big brother to keroyok (Sabah Malay slang for “gang up on”) their sibling. “Big brother politics” has been a part of Sabah since the state, together with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore, formed Malaysia in 1963. Take the fight between blood brothers: Usno (United Sabah National Organisation) founder Tun Mustapha Harun and Upko (United Pasokmomogun Kadazan Organisation) president Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens. In 1964, Sabah chief minister Fuad appointed a Kadazan to the post of state secretary. However, Yang di-Pertua Negara Mustapha refused to confirm the appointment, precipitating a serious Constitutional crisis involving the powers of the chief minister and the Yang di-Pertua Negara. ....
SOME political analysts argue that Sabah politics is different from Peninsular Malaysia’s. They point to the demographics of the two territories. Sabah has ethnic communities such as Kadazandusun, Murut, Bajau, Lundayeh, Rungus and Bisaya that influence state politics; Peninsular Malaysia has mostly Malays, Chinese and Indians and only a few Orang Asli groups that aren’t political. They also contend that Sabah politics is unique because the state has several locally-based political parties, like Parti Warisan Sabah, Parti Sabah Bersatu (PBS), United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko), Sabah Star (Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) and United Sabah National Organisation (Usno). Parties based in Peninsular Malaysia tend to be national rather than confined to one state; though some do not have a presence in Sabah and Sarawak. ....