KUALA LUMPUR - Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is entering the Sabah state election with the upper hand, strengthened by its position as the incumbent government and the personalities of its candidates, according to a recent Ilham Centre study.
Ilham Centre executive director Hisomudin Bakar said their pre-election survey in June showed GRS ahead of other political parties.
He pointed out that GRS benefited from access to government resources and strong candidate profiles at the state assembly level.
“In Sabah, politics is rather unique. Although there are national-level issues such as corruption or infrastructure, voters tend to evaluate candidates in their respective constituencies,” he said.
Hisomudin said personality and incumbent performance remained dominant factors in shaping support.
The study found that Warisan still has influence in east coast areas like Tawau and Kalabakan but struggled in Kadazan, Dusun, Murut (KDMR) regions.
Pakatan Harapan continued to hold ground in major towns such as Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu, while PBS and STAR remained stronger in KDMR areas.
The newly formed KDM, led by Datuk Peter Anthony, was gaining traction, particularly in urban areas through figures like Datuk Wetrom Bahanda.
Meanwhile, Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) face difficulties after party-hopping controversies and challenges in securing young voters’ support.
“The study also highlights that the young voter segment, comprising those aged between 18 and 40, is a deciding factor.
“So for me, Umno is facing an uphill battle in breaking through or convincing this young voter group,” Hisomudin said.
He noted that in some constituencies, young voters accounted for up to 60 per cent of the electorate.
“The youth segment is a significant undecided group. Failing to manage or convince them could pose a major risk to any party or candidate in crossing the victory line,” he said.
Hisomudin also clarified that the Zara Qairina Mahathir controversy was not a factor when the study was conducted.
“Based on the findings, GRS is still leading other parties due to its advantage as the incumbent, access to resources and the government machinery,” he said.