KUCHING, Nov 30, 2025: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan has said that the question of whether the party won or lost in yesterday’s 17th Sabah state election is secondary.
Voon Lee Shan: Even if PBK may not win any seat in the upcoming Sarawak state election, its presence alone remains a critical force.
He claimed what matters is that it has already influenced the political landscape of both Sabah and Sarawak by raising awareness about aspirations and rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“Following the PBK suit filed in November 2021, the Sabah Law Society (SLS) proceeded to file the 40 per cent revenue entitlement suit,” Voon, who is a practising lawyer, said in a statement posted on his Facebook today.
He said the SLS’s suit emerged partly because activists in Sabah were actively discussing the MA63 legal challenge—discussions that grew after his engagements with them on issues surrounding Sabah and Sarawak’s rights.
“One of the most visible impacts today is the dramatic decline of the peninsula-based political parties in Sabah,” he said, adding that with the DAP being completely wiped out.
He added that PKR managed to secure only one seat while UMNO and other Malayan parties are now nearly irrelevant in Sabah’s electoral landscape.
“This shift suggests that the political influence of these parties will likely weaken further in Sarawak during the upcoming 13th Sarawak state election.
“DAP and PKR may even face the possibility of complete electoral rejection here as well,” Voon speculated.
He said even if PBK may not win any seat in the upcoming Sarawak state election, its presence alone remains a critical force.
He said PBK will continue to challenge the federal narrative and assert the rights and aspirations of the Borneo states.
In the Sabah election, PBK fielded 14 candidates and all of them were defeated and lost their election deposits for failing to secure a certain percentage of the total number of votes cast.
Meanwhile, Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president larry Sng (picture) expressed his gratitude to the party’s candidates and supporters in the Sabah state election.
“This is our first time contesting in Sabah state election and I acknowledge our defeat, largely attributed to being a new party.
“I know it will also take time to rebuild the party and to identify new capable leaders to helm the leadership in the state,” he said on his Facebook post.
“For me, politics is not a 100 meter sprint. It is a marathon. One for those willing to sacrifice their time and resources, for an uncertain outcome.
“Sometimes we see immediate results but at times it is a long wait. As politicians we need to be willing to take a hit and to soldier on,” he added.
Sng said the Sabahans have spoken clearly, and they want to be like Sarawak.
“To be more precise, to be like GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak). No more federal interference. No more excuses for denying Sabahans their rights enshrined in MA63.
“The days of stalling are over. Pakatan Harapan (PH), Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Nasional (PN) have for too long claimed to give their respective state leadership autonomy in name, only to pull back during elections.
“People are no longer interested in such political manoeuvring. They want local parties to represent them,” Sng said, hoping that the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state-led government will succeed and work closely with Sarawak to build a solid Borneo block.
“Maybe in future we will see a future prime minister from East Malaysia,” Sng said.
PBM contested in three seats and all of them lost as well as losing their election deposits.
.jpg)
