Kota kinabalu: Political stability and continuity of leadership are key to enable Sabah to achieve a level of development on par with Sarawak, Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) deputy president Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said. He pointed out that the political instability plaguing the state, which has had 16 chief ministers compared to six premiers and chief ministers in Sarawak since 1963, has complicated efforts to resolve basic issues and the continued development of the state.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Sabah Finance Minister said the state had to emulate the thinking and attitude of Sarawakians who prioritized political stability and continued development efforts to ensure the state could progress into the future. Masidi highlighted that compared to Sarawak, Sabah’s frequently changing governments demonstrate a politically unstable environment, which he described as a significant issue.

After officiating the 2025 Gagasan Rakyat Women’s, Youth and Beliawanis Wings Conferences, Masidi emphasized that an important factor in maintaining political stability was to have a local party fully supported by the people, similar to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). He added that Sabahans should be allowed to think and decide freely to foster a stable political climate.

Masidi pointed out that egoistic attitudes in politics remain a main obstacle to political stability and cooperation between parties in Sabah, as every party aims to win, and not many are willing to work diligently towards collective goals. He stressed the need to abandon the mindset of “I must win, others must lose,” advocating for unity among the people of Sabah to work towards the greater interest of developing the state together.

He also cautioned that the wealth of resources owned by Sabah would never be fully utilized without unity and the willingness of leaders and the people to work hard.