The 16th Sabah State Election: Kadazandusun Politics and the Huguan Siou Factor
Keywords:
16th Sabah State Election, Huguan Siou, Kadazandusun
Abstract
This article analyses the 16th Sabah State Election, focusing on the Kadazandusun-majority seats. It is based on an ethnographic study comprising interviews with candidates and casual conversations with local people in "competitive" Kadazandusun seats such as Matunggong, Kiulu, Moyog, Tambunan, Keningau, Sook, Nabawan, Tenom and Melalap. The results of the election showed that the Kadazandusun voted for status quo. In addition, following the trend of GE14, the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) managed to maintain its strong presence in the Kadazandusun areas. This article argues that ethnic and personality politics play an instrumental role in determining the Kadazandusun support to GRS particularly STAR (Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku Rakyat Sabah/Homeland Solidarity Party) and PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah/Sabah United Party). While economic factors are decisive as well, the role of the Kadazandusun traditional leadership institution is pertinent in influencing the people’s decision to vote.
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References
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Puyok, A., & Sukhani, P. R. (2020). Sabah: breakthrough in the fixed deposit state. The Round Table, 109(2), 209–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2020.1741888
Rashid Moten, A., & Syed, S. I. (2015). Introduction to Political Science (5th ed.). Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.
Ratnam, K. . (2019). Identity, Nationhood and State-Building in Malaysia. In SIRD.
Reid, A. (1997). Endangered Identity: Kadazan or Dusun in Sabah (East Malaysia). Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 28, 120–136.
Tangit, T. M. (2017). Ethnic Labels and Identity among Kadazans in Penampang, Sabah (Malaysian Borneo). The Australian National University.
Thestar. (2020). Opposition urges voters to reject PSS. Thestar Online. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/01/17/opposition-urges-voters-to-reject-pss
Unto, R. (2020, September 22). PBS won’t withdraw from seats: Pairin. Daily Express Newspaper. https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/158684/pbs-won-t-withdraw-from-seats-pairin/
Yamamoto, H. (2002). From Penampang Boys to Tambunan Sons: Kadazandusun Leadership and Their Cultural “Revival.” In M. H. Shah, K. . Jomo, & P. K. Lit (Eds.), New Perspectives in Malaysian Studies (pp. 213–225). Persatuan Sosial Sains Malaysia.
Bagang, T. P., & Puyok, A. (2019). SABAH The End of BN and Start of a New Order? In F. E. Hutchinson & L. H. Aun (Eds.), ISEAS. ISEAS. http://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg
Bagang, T. P., & Puyok, A. (2021). Kadazan-Dusun Politics: The Persistence of Personality, Politics, Patronage and Ethnonationalism. In B. Welsh, V. Somiah, & Y. B. Loh (Eds.), Sabah From The Ground: The 2020 Elections & The Politics of Survival (pp. 285–304). SIRD & ISEAS.
Barlocco, F. (2013). An Inconvenient Birth: The formation of a modern Kadazan culture and its marginalisation within the making of the Malaysian nation (1953-2007). Indonesia and the Malay World, 41(119), 116–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639811.2013.766010
Department of Statistics. (2010). Population and housing. Government Printer.
Farnandez, J. (2016, December 15). Jeffrey to be installed as ‘thinking’ Huguan Siou. Free Malaysia Today. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/12/15/jeffrey-to-be-installed-as-thinking-huguan-siou
Fearon, J. D. (2008). Ethnic Mobilization and Ethnic Violence. The Oxford Handbook of Political Economy, January 2006. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199548477.003.0047
Gladstone, J. S., & Pepion, D. D. (2017). Exploring traditional Indigenous leadership concepts: A spiritual foundation for Blackfeet leadership. Leadership, 13(5), 571–589. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715016638913
Hazis, F. S. (2018). GE14: The Political Earthquake That Ended BN’s 60-Year Rule. In Regime Change in Malaysia: GE14 and the End of UMNO-BN’s 60-year rule (pp. 263–279). SIRD & ALIRAN.
Horowitz, D. L. (1993). Democracy in Divided Societies: The Challenge of Ethnic Conflict Democracy in Divided Societies. Journal of Democracy, 4(4), 18–38. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.1993.0054
Horowitz, D. L. (2014). Ethnic Power Sharing: Three Big Problems. Journal of Democracy, 25(2), 5–20. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2014.0020
Hutchinson, F. E., & Aun, L. H. (2020). A Political Earthquake, More Aftershocks to Come - ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. ISEAS. https://www.iseas.edu.sg/media/commentaries/a-political-earthquake-more-aftershocks-to-come/
Joibi, N. (2018, May 23). Pairin’s status as “Huguan Siou” indisputable. Thestar. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/05/23/pairins-status-as-huguan-siou-indisputable
Leach, C. W., Brown, L. M., & Worden, R. E. (2008). Ethnicity and Identity Politics. In Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, & Conflict. Oxford.
Loh, F. (2018). Regime Change in Malaysia: GE14 and the End of UMNO-BN’s 60-Year Rule (F. Loh & A. Netto (eds.)). SIRD & ALIRAN.
Luping, H. J. (1985). The Kadazans And Sabah Politics. Victoria University of Wellington.
Luping, H. J. (2013, March 2). Huguan Siou an important institution. Daily Express Newspaper.
Milne, R. ., & Ratnam, K. . (1974). Malaysia: New States in a New Nation: Political Development of Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysia. Frank Cass.
Mohammad Agus Yusoff. (2006). Malaysian Federalism: Conflict or Consensus. UKM.
Ongkili, J. (1989). Political Development in Sabah, 1963 - 1988. In J. Kitibgan & M. J. Ongkili (Eds.), Sabah: 25 Years Later, 1963 - 1988 (pp. 61–79). IDS (Sabah).
Ongkili, J. F. (2003). The Problems of Kadazandusun Bumiputeraism: Promises, Privileges and Politics. Kajian Malaysia, XXI(1&2), 197–209.
Osman, M. N. M. (2017). A Transitioning Sabah in a Changing Malaysia. Kajian Malaysia, 35(1), 23–40. https://doi.org/10.21315/km2017.35.1.2
Puyok, A. (2014). Kota Marudu and Keningau, Sabah: Personality, Patronage and Parochial Politics. In M. L. Weiss (Ed.), Electoral Dynamics in Malaysia (pp. 181–195). SIRD & ISEAS. https://doi.org/10.1355/9789814519120-017
Puyok, A., & Bagang, T. P. (2011). Ethnicity, culture and indigenous leadership in modern politics: The case of the Kadazandusun in Sabah, east Malaysia. Kajian Malaysia, 29(SUPPL 1), 177–197.
Puyok, A., & Sukhani, P. R. (2020). Sabah: breakthrough in the fixed deposit state. The Round Table, 109(2), 209–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2020.1741888
Rashid Moten, A., & Syed, S. I. (2015). Introduction to Political Science (5th ed.). Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.
Ratnam, K. . (2019). Identity, Nationhood and State-Building in Malaysia. In SIRD.
Reid, A. (1997). Endangered Identity: Kadazan or Dusun in Sabah (East Malaysia). Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 28, 120–136.
Tangit, T. M. (2017). Ethnic Labels and Identity among Kadazans in Penampang, Sabah (Malaysian Borneo). The Australian National University.
Thestar. (2020). Opposition urges voters to reject PSS. Thestar Online. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/01/17/opposition-urges-voters-to-reject-pss
Unto, R. (2020, September 22). PBS won’t withdraw from seats: Pairin. Daily Express Newspaper. https://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/158684/pbs-won-t-withdraw-from-seats-pairin/
Yamamoto, H. (2002). From Penampang Boys to Tambunan Sons: Kadazandusun Leadership and Their Cultural “Revival.” In M. H. Shah, K. . Jomo, & P. K. Lit (Eds.), New Perspectives in Malaysian Studies (pp. 213–225). Persatuan Sosial Sains Malaysia.
Published
2021-10-10
How to Cite
Bagang, T., Puyok, A. and Mersat, N. I. (2021) “The 16th Sabah State Election: Kadazandusun Politics and the Huguan Siou Factor”, Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 6(10), pp. 404 - 412. doi: 10.47405/mjssh.v6i10.1122.
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