Deeper analysis needed for PBS election results to enable future improvements, says Dr Joachim

KOTA KINABALU (Dec 18): Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) needs to further analyse the results of the 17th Sabah State Election, where the party won seven out of the 15 seats contested, said Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam.

The PBS acting president said the results still reflected progress, despite the loss of some traditional strongholds because the party also gained unexpected victories in a new area.

He explained that the results showed shifting voter dynamics, with PBS failing to retain Tamparuli but making gains in constituencies that were not previously considered party strongholds such as Limbahau.

Dr Joachim stressed politics remained fluid and election outcomes could not be measured by numbers alone, as voting behaviour was influenced by multiple factors that required deeper analysis.

“There is always progress. Politics is dynamic. Not everyone who is expected to vote will do so, and there must be reasons behind that. That is what we will study so we can improve in the future,” he told reporters at the 40th PBS Congress in Penampang.

Dr Joachim added PBS came close to winning several additional seats, but internal disunity among partners affected the outcome, particularly in Kadazan Rungus Murut Rungus (KDMR) areas where cooperation arrangements did not hold until polling day.

He said the breakdown of earlier understandings among allies contributed to losses in several constituencies, including areas that the party had targeted as winnable.

He also defended the party’s strategy of contesting fewer seats in the recent election, saying its focus on quality rather than numbers allowed the party to maintain its seat count amid limited resources.

Commenting on this approach, Dr Joachim said the party chose to contest wisely rather than overstretch its resources, noting that contesting more seats without sufficient support could lead to heavier losses.

“We must be smart. We contest wisely. There is no point contesting more seats if in the end you lose more than you gain,” he said.

PBS won seven out of the 15 seats it contested in the recently concluded 17th Sabah State Election.

They were Kundasang, Matunggong, Kiulu, Tandek, Lumadan, Telupid, and Limbahau.

In the 2020 state elections, the party contested in 17 seats and won seven — namely Kundasang, Matunggong, Kiulu, Tandek, Lumadan, Telupid, and Tamparuli.

On governance, he reiterated the importance of working with the federal government, saying cooperation rather than confrontation was key to achieving better outcomes for Sabah.

Dr Joachim said collaboration with Putrajaya remained relevant, stressing that Sabah needed strong federal support to drive development and deliver results for the people.

He also clarified that calls for modernisation did not mean abandoning the principle of patience, but rather prioritising responsibility, dialogue, and effective cooperation between the state and federal governments.

“The principle of patience still exists. What we mean is modernising the way we carry responsibility and work together,” he said.

Dr Joachim said PBS would continue to assess its electoral strategy, strengthen unity on the ground, and promote cooperative governance to build on the gains made in the latest polls.