By Damian Fernandez

Hajiji Ada Pilihan — Ikut Rakyat, Atau Tunggu Masa Tumbang.

BN + PH in the cabinet? Three DCMs? Bad math, worse politics. Warisan voters can force a correction — or trigger the collapse Sabah may secretly want.

Hajiji Noor clearly could not wait. Barely 24 hours after Sabahans delivered one of the most emphatic “Semenanjung, please balik KL” messages in electoral history, he sprinted to Istana Sri Kinabalu to get sworn in — and then unveiled a cabinet line-up so tone-deaf it could qualify as a medical condition. Sabah Bagi Mandat Baru. Tapi Hajiji Masih Main Politik Lama.

Hajiji… “Macam mana saya mau kekal berkuasa walau apa pun jadi?”

For a man who spent the campaign telling Sabahans he heard their aspirations, Hajiji now appears to have developed sudden, selective, self-serving political deafness. Warisan supporters watched with the same facial expression Malaysians reserve for discovering that the nasi lemak has no sambal:- absolute betrayal.

Sabah Spoke Loudly. Hajiji Put Them on Mute.

Let’s recap the actual message Sabahans sent:

1. “Get Peninsular parties out of Sabah politics.”

Sabah gave PKR and Perikatan Nasional the electoral equivalent of a restraining order — one seat each, just to be polite. They weren’t even willing to be polite with DAP. ZERO seats for DAP!

2. “We want Sabah-based leadership, not KL franchises.”

Warisan’s 25 seats and GRS’ 29 weren’t just numbers. Peninsula based parties UMNO won 6 seats, PKR 1 and PH 1 out of 73 seats. This was a referendum:

Sabah belongs to Sabahans. Not KL operatives. Not Semenanjung power-brokers.

3. “Reject extremism.”

Perikatan Nasional got mauled. PAS behaved like they were on a silent retreat. Sabah Muslims voted for moderation, unity and common sense — not imported Taliban Lite.

4. “Fix our economy, autonomy and governance — don’t play power games.”

Sabahans want MA63 honoured, cost of living addressed, illegal immigration tackled, land protected.

They did not vote for a new round of KL-flavoured political musical chairs.

And what did Hajiji do? He formed a cabinet that looked like the exact thing Sabahans had just rejected with a 10-tonne sledgehammer.

This Was Not Statecraft. This Was Pettiness.

Let’s be honest now: This cabinet wasn’t formed to respect the will of voters.

It was formed to spite one man: Shafie Apdal. Sabahans didn’t vote for Hajiji to wage a personal vendetta. They didn’t vote for a petty turf war that has dragged on for years. The voters said: “Enough already — deliver something real.”

Hajiji said:

“Betul bah… after I settle my unfinished business with Shafie dulu, ya?”

This is political immaturity dressed up as governance. Sebaiknya:

• GRS patut bentuk kerajaan Sabahans sepenuhnya, without any hangers-on from Semenanjung.

• Bincang terbuka dengan Warisan — sebab rakyat bagi sokongan hampir seimbang

Five Independents Walked Out – That’s Only the Beginning.

Within hours of seeing Hajiji’s “BN + PH Surprise Combo Cabinet,” five independents withdrew support. Another Sabah-based party quietly followed.

This is not normal. This is not stability. This is not mandate consolidation.

This is a slow-motion collapse wearing a songkok and pretending everything is fine. The new administration is so brittle it makes kuih kapit look like reinforced concrete.  At this rate, the administration may not last a year — unless divine intervention, or a miracle or a sudden outbreak of integrity among coalition partners, occurs. (Unlikely.)

Why 3 Deputy Chief Ministers? Serius ka boss?

Hajiji angkat sumpah kabinet dengan 3 Timbalan Ketua Menteri. Sabahan tengok pun pening.

Just imagine kalau sekolah buat macam ni:

“Cikgu Besar ada 3 Penolong Kanan sebab semua nak rasa syok sendiri.” Macam ini sistem mana pun akan runtuh.

Untuk apa sebenarnya? Because Malaysian politics has a long-standing tradition:

When you’ve run out of real ideas, you start creating fancy job titles and hope nobody notices the office is still on fire.

Three DCMs for a state assembly is not a governance structure. Hajiji just handed out participation trophies. It’s padding. It’s political insurance. It’s “please don’t defect, please don’t topple me, here’s a chair for you.”

Sabahans wanted reforms. Hajiji gave them extra chairs. WHY DID HAJIJI DO THIS?

Two reasons:

1. To block Shafie Apdal.

This ego battle is older than some of the voters.

2. To give Berjaya-era-style “unity optics”.

Except Sabahans didn’t ask for unity. They asked for sovereignty — political, cultural, and administrative.

Hajiji thinks he’s playing 5D chess. He is clearly a bigger fool than Anwar!

Warisan Supporters Should Not Underestimate Their Power.

This election proved something fundamental:

Warisan is very much alive. They didn’t just survive PKR/DAP’s collapse — they surged. If Hajiji thinks he has a two-thirds-style mandate, he’s hallucinating. This is the actual equation: GRS 29 seats DOES NOT EQUAL A Licence to Invite Semenanjung Parties Into the Bedroom. With five independents pulling out, Hajiji is now politically exposed. Warisan voters have every right to demand accountability.

What Can Sabahans Do Next? More Than You Think.

OPTION 1: Force Hajiji Back to Sabah-Based Governance.

Public pressure works. GRS knows the optics are terrible.

Sabahans can — and should — push Hajiji to:

1. Eject BN & PH from the cabinet

2. Replace them with Sabah parties or technocrats

3. Commit publicly to a Peninsular-free cabinet line-up moving forward

Sabahans have the moral high ground. Use it.

OPTION 2: Trigger a Confidence Crisis.

If the defecting independents join a stronger bloc (read: Warisan), a new majority can emerge.

If that happens: Hajiji tumbang. It’s that simple. Sabah voters don’t have to accept a government they didn’t vote for.

OPTION 3: Build a Sabah-First Coalition Without Political Parasites.

Warisan + independents + smaller Sabah parties could form a government that finally reflects the actual message of PRN17:

SABAH FIRST. FULL STOP.

No PKR parachutes. No BN operatives. No DAP leftovers. No imported political headaches.

OPTION 4: Prepare for Hajiji’s Collapse — Because It’s Coming Anyway. 

Let’s be blunt: This government is wobbling on day two.

Once KL starts interfering (as they always do)… Once ambition bubbles up (as is inevitable)… Once internal sabotage begins (as it always does)…

Hajiji’s government becomes a countdown clock.

Warisan’s job is simple: Be ready. Stay united. Strike at the right moment.

Hajiji Gambled. Sabahans Can Decide If He Wins or Loses.

Hajiji Noor thought he could outsmart everyone. He thought Sabahans would shrug. He thought mixing GRS with BN and PH would stabilise his power.

But he forgot the most important lesson of PRN17:

Sabahans are done being played by KL politics and local warlords.

SABAH SPOKE. HAJIJI DIDN’T LISTEN. NOW SABAH MUST SPEAK LOUDER.

Hajiji Noor had a golden opportunity. Sabahans handed him a mandate drenched in clarity.

But instead of using it to chart a new Sabah-first era, he chose old political habits:

• old allies

• old horse trading

• old Peninsular influence

• old power games

• old bloat

• old ego wars

If he doesn’t correct course immediately, his government will fall — and history will remember him as the man who took a victory… and turned it into a self-inflicted crisis within one day.

Sabah deserves better.

Sabah asked for better.

And if needed, Sabah will force better.

This cabinet is not the future Sabah voted for. If Hajiji insists on ignoring the rakyat, then the rakyat — especially Warisan supporters — must hold the political machete of accountability very close to his neck (politically, of course). Sabahans have options. Sabahans have leverage. Sabahans just changed Malaysian politics in one election.

They can change Sabah’s government again… anytime they want.