KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 – Deutsche Bank believes that the political status quo in Sabah will be maintained with the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition retaining the state in the upcoming general election by winning 60 per cent of the seats.
The bank also said the opposition would have to make material inroads into rural areas if it wants to win significantly more seats this time. It said the government would likely call for the general election in April rather than this month as previously anticipated due to the armed intrusion by the Sulu militants in Sabah.
Sabah is a key state for both parties in the upcoming general election -– it accounts for 11 per cent of parliamentary seats — the third largest after Sarawak (14 per cent) and Johor (12 per cent). In the last general election in 2008, the BN won 24 of the 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah.
“As we approach the middle of March, with no news of the election date, it appears as if the government is going to hold the election at the last possible moment,” the bank said in a research report.
The five-year mandate before Parliament is automatically dissolved is on April 28 and the deadline for the election to be completed is June 27. The intrusion in Sabah, which has led to a military response by the government, may have distracted the government and caused the delay in calling for the election.
BERNAMA
