Bilcher Bala, Syahruddin Awang Ahmad and Arvin Tajari said such conditions were necessary to protect Sabah’s political stability, which they said was crucial for governance and development.
They also said that BN and Umno must temper their demands if they wished to remain relevant, as their influence had waned and they no longer dominated Sabah politics as they did before 2018.
Bilcher, of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), said Umno and BN had limited options and were better off aligning with GRS, which he described as stronger and more dominant than Warisan.
“Warisan is a direct competitor that could trigger conflicts over influence, while cooperation with GRS gives BN a chance to remain politically relevant and ensure stability in the state government.
“In this context, GRS should set conditions even if Umno/BN is weakening, as a control mechanism to prevent a repeat of past conflicts and ensure long-term political stability,” he told FMT.
In an FMT report on Wednesday, Kinabatangan MP Kurniawan Naim Moktar said BN’s success in retaining the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat and Lamag state seat in the Jan 24 by-elections showed that cooperation with GRS should extend beyond governance to electoral politics.
The Umno Youth treasurer acknowledged that his victory over Warisan, by a majority of 14,214 votes, was partly due to support from coalition partners such as GRS and Pakatan Harapan, which actively assisted in the campaign.
BN and GRS were rivals during the last state election in Sabah, despite being allies in the unity government at the federal level.
BN performed poorly in the state election last November, winning only six state seats. Political observers have since warned that the seven parliamentary seats it currently holds could be at risk without electoral cooperation.
‘Sabah First’ commitment
Syahruddin, also of UMS, said any cooperation should require BN to commit to the “Sabah First” agenda, and to rule out any future attempts to destabilise the state government – a reference to the failed “Langkah Kinabalu” which had sought to topple chief minister Hajiji Noor.
“Umno and BN must also rein in excessive demands, as political realities today show that they are no longer the sole power. Seat allocation formulas must reflect actual strength on the ground, not historical sentiment.
“Demands for positions in the state government must also be realistic and respect the mandate held by GRS as the leading force in the state administration,” he said.
Arvin Tajari of Universiti Teknologi Mara said Umno and BN should consider their political survival in Sabah by choosing the best form of cooperation after their weak showing in the November state election.
He said the victories in the Kinabatangan and Lamag by-elections were not necessarily a sign of renewed public acceptance, but were influenced by factors such as GRS’s supporters and its decision not to contest.
“Therefore, negotiations over seat and position allocations must be approached with Umno/BN’s survival in mind. This needs to be carefully worked out ahead of GE16,” he said.