KOTA KINABALU : Daniel John Jambun’s recent article, “The Future of Sabah Must Be Determined by the People,” is riddled with high-minded rhetoric — but dangerously short on honesty.
For all his talk about democracy and “the will of the people,” Jambun omits a glaring truth: the man he champions, Shafie Apdal, was the original backdoor chief minister in Sabah.
Let’s revisit the actual sequence of events following GE14 in 2018, since Jambun and Warisan loyalists seem eager to bury the facts under flowery slogans
1. The Original Langkah Istana — Shafie’s 2018 Power Grab
In 2018, the Sabah election resulted in a clear winner: Barisan Nasional, under the leadership of Tan Sri Musa Aman ( now Tun) who was rightfully sworn in as Chief Minister by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri. What followed was not a democratic transfer of power — it was political piracy.
Six UPKO assemblymen switched allegiance after the swearing-in, flipping their support to Warisan. Instead of waiting for a confidence vote in the state assembly, the Governor unilaterally swore in Shafie Apdal, plunging Sabah into a constitutional crisis. Two chief ministers were sworn in within 48 hours — an unprecedented act that violated not just democratic principles but basic constitutional protocol.
Where was Daniel John Jambun’s outrage then? Where was his sermon on “letting the people decide” when Musa Aman, who had already been installed, was shoved aside through backroom defections?
Let’s be clear: Shafie Apdal didn’t win power at the ballot box — he engineered it behind closed doors. If anyone symbolizes elite manipulation and palace politics, it is Shafie
2. Warisan’s 24 Months of Dysfunction and Abuse
Once in power, Warisan’s so-called reformist government wasted little time showing its true colors:
• Sempornisation of the Civil Service: Shafie stacked key government departments and GLCs with loyalists from Semporna and even his own family members. Meritocracy was tossed aside in favor of nepotism and political tribalism.
• Illegal Immigrants and Dubious Documents: Under Warisan’s watch, Sabahans watched in horror as reports of illegal squatters’ fires rose dramatically — a pattern many believe was linked to the clandestine issuance of ICs. The whispers of Project IC 2.0 were more than speculation; they reflected a real fear among Sabahans that state identity was being diluted for political gain.
• Sabotaging Infrastructure for Political Convenience: Warisan’s reckless decision to cancel the original concessions of Telibong 2 and Sandakan water treatment plant projects directly contributed to the water crises Sabah suffers today. Furthermore the cancellation resulted in millions in compensation had to paid out to the affected firms, placing undue financial burden on the government .
And let’s not forget their dismantling of the Pan Borneo Highway’s Project Delivery Partner (PDP) model, which led to massive delays in what should have been a generational game-changer for the state.
This was not reform. It was regression wrapped in populist packaging.
3. The Hypocrisy of Blaming Musa Aman for “Langkah Kinabalu”
Jambun attacks Musa Aman as the face of backdoor politics. But let’s expose the double standard: Shafie Apdal mounted two coups in the span of five years — once in 2018 (successfully) and again in 2023 (unsuccessfully), when he tried to topple Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor in another elite deal with Bung Moktar Radin.
Shafie tried exactly the same power grab tactics he once condemned — but failed. So what does Jambun do? He spins an old narrative about “people’s power” to distract from Warisan’s own political sins.
4. Democracy Means Accepting Defeat — Not Constantly Trying to Bypass It
Warisan and its proxies need to understand that losing power isn’t a license to cry foul or manufacture narratives about elite interference. True democrats don’t overthrow governments through shady alliances and party-hopping — they earn back power through service and ideas.
Shafie has not done that. Instead, his politics has become synonymous with short-term populism, regional favoritism, and constitutional brinkmanship.
Conclusion: Don’t Be Fooled by Romantic Rhetoric
Daniel John Jambun may wrap his arguments in the language of democracy and dignity, but underneath lies a deeply cynical defense of a political operator whose record speaks for itself.
If we are to respect democracy in Sabah, we must begin by telling the truth:
• That Shafie Apdal was the original backdoor chief minister;
• That his administration was marred by nepotism, institutional erosion, and infrastructural sabotage;
• And that Sabah needs real leadership — not recycled slogans and revisionist history.
Let the people decide, yes — but let them decide based on facts, not fiction.
(Commentary by Datuk Seri Panglima Clarence Bongkos Malakun – Sabah Economic Advisory Council member and former Moyog Assemblyman) – pr/BNN
