https://www.scmp.com/rss/525134/feed Dr Arnold Puyok is an Associate Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and Government Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Malaysia, Sarawak (UNIMAS) and a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Arnold Puyok Arnold Puyok Malaysia’s long-anticipated 17th state election in Sabah concluded last month with results that were at once expected and surprising. Heightened calls for greater autonomy and more leadership by local-based parties proved less decisive than expected, with the “Sabah First” slogan belying the fact that the state’s divided politics will continue. With 1.7 million voters choosing from a record 22 parties and 596 candidates, the ballot resembled a democratic marketplace: rich in options but... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3337113/sabahs-election-proves-malaysians-want-results-not-slogans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3337113/sabahs-election-proves-malaysians-want-results-not-slogans?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 02:30:08 +0000