Going Against the Tide: Sabah and the 2008 Malaysian General Election

In the 2008 Malaysian general election, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN or National Front) lost its two-thirds majority for the first time since independence. BN performed poorly in West Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia) but was saved by a strong showing in the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Understandably, these two states are expected to play a key role in helping BN stay in power in the next general elections. In this article, we shall examine the reasons why BN did well in Sabah. In the main, Sabah politics is still primarily driven by local factors due to its unique history and geographical location. As such, national issues, such as the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy case, do not connect with voters in Sabah.