PUTRAJAYA - As Sabah braces for another election cycle, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged voters to choose a “good government” - yet warned that the state’s political culture, driven by personalities, parties and suku kaum (ethnic tribes), may prevent that from happening.
In a candid interview, the statesman expressed concerns that despite pressing issues from alleged corruption scandals involving the state's assemblymen to natural disasters and high-profile bullying cases, electoral outcomes in Sabah were rarely determined by good governance.
"They should choose good government… but mostly they are not looking at good governance. They’re looking at individuals, at parties and even 'suku kaum' (ethnic group or tribe) and all that.
"So we are not going to get a good government as a result of election," he said during Sinar Daily's Top News Podcast.
Dr Mahathir painted a fragmented picture of Sabah’s political landscape, where the rush to form parties and coalitions once an election has been called led to a crowded field of candidates.
"As soon as there is an election, everybody wants to form a party, everybody wants to form a coalition and individuals want to contest.
"What we are going to see in Sabah is the people would be split up into many small factions," he said.
He pointed out that multi-cornered fights would split votes, allowing winners to secure seats with less than a majority, a result he said the public must "abide by anyway."
When asked if there were any promising candidates, Dr Mahathir was skeptical, saying it was impossible to judge a candidate’s true character until they were in power.
"He may be very good before he became representative of the people but the moment he gains power… power corrupts.
"So if they get to become chief minister or minister, then that’s when they show their true colours," he said.
Pressed on whether picking the right leader was simply a matter of luck, he replied grimly: "Yeah, more or less."
As Sabah continues to grapple with political instability alongside social and environmental challenges, political observers have urged voters to choose representatives who will focus on improving the state's basic infrastructure such as stable electricity, clean water supply and well-paved roads.