Pak Lah was no linchpin freeMalaysia doesn't think Pak Lah had much if any influence on the state election. Barisan's deep, money-lined pockets and campaign machinery were far more influential. Moreover, the redelineation of the state's electoral constituencies in 1995, after the Barisan took over the assembly, probably was the most significant factor. Sabah's new gerrymandered political map now has 24 constituencies dominated by Muslims, UMNO's core backers, compared with 17 before 1995. The Kadazan-Dusun electorate, which make up about 40 per cent of the state's population, were reduced to 12 majority constituencies from 23 before the redelineation.
Chinese majorities dominate four constituencies, while the rest are an ethnic mix.
In short, the Barisan's electoral formula of ethnic division still paves the way for political rule in most of Malaysia and now, especially, in Sabah. Joseph Pairin Kitingan's PBS can take some comfort in defeating Sabah Chief Minister Bernard Dompok. Along with turncoat Dompok, several other PBS defectors also got their comeuppance. But these were merely parochial cases of the Kadazan-Dusun community taking care of their own, teaching the sellouts a tribal lesson. In the end, these small victories mean little.