Read the signal coming from the Sabah election, Karim tells national parties

KUCHING, Dec 2 2025: PBB information chief Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has suggested that parties outside Sabah should read the “signal” coming from last week’s state election.

Karim Rahman Hamzah: The poor results showed that they (national parties)  have been totally wiped out in the Sabah election. 

 “We have seen that the results are rather interesting for me personally. 

“Our hope is that parties outside Sabah should read the signal. You cannot run away from it. Read the signal, the results that are leaning towards the people of Sabah,” Karim, who is also the Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, told reporters today.

“The people of Sabah want to be governed by the local parties - GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) and Parti Warisan - the two parties  that won big in the election, one winning 29 seats another 25 seats.

“This showed that the people of Sabah are leaning towards the local parties,” he said, explaining that it does not mean that they do not like Malaya.

“It is possible that they (Sabahan voters) have seen what are happening in Sarawak. Both sides, whether it was the Sabah government before the state election or the parties after the state election, were looking at Sarawak as a role model during their campaign.

“That is why, more or less, we (member of GPS component parties) in Sarawak were not allowed to go there because both sides were supporting Sarawak.

“So let them be.The results showed that the Sabahans did not want the national parties. Umno won not that many while Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional each won one seat,” Karim said.

He said that the poor results showed that they have been totally wiped out.

Karim said Umno winning six seats could be due to the personality of the candidates.

“It is hoped that the national parties will see the signal sent to them,” he said, stating that the  Sabahans want their rights (as enshrined under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and the Federal Constitution) back.

Karim said it is up to the leaders of GRS and Warisan whether to work together, saying “it may not happen now, but then it might later how to work together.”

“(But) I am not urging them to work together or merge,” he said.