NARATIF POLITIK PEMBANGUNAN DI SABAH, MALAYSIA: ANTARA HARAPAN DAN REALITI

POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT NARRATIVE IN SABAH: EXPECTATION AND REALITY

Authors

  • Joloning Joe Majambu Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
  • Romzi Ationg Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
  • Saifulazry Mokhtar Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
  • Mohd Azri Ibrahim Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35631/IJLGC.1040036

Keywords:

Malaysia, Naratif Politik Pembangunan (Politics of Development Narrative), Sabah

Abstract

Sabah merupakan salah satu wilayah yang membentuk Persekutuan Malaysia. Wilayah ini terletak di bahagian utara pulau Borneo dengan keluasan kawasan sekitar 72,500 kilometer persegi, dan bersempadan dengan Sarawak, serta terpisah dari semenanjung Malaysia (dahulunya dipanggil Tanah Melayu). Sejak mencapai kemerdekaan melalui pembentukan Malaysia pada 16 September 1963, kegiatan politik di wilayah ini telah dicorakkan oleh pelbagai naratif politik. Antara naratif politik yang berterusan digunakan oleh para aktor politik ialah politik pembangunan. Penggunaan naratif politik pembangunan terbukti berjaya mendapat sambutan rakyat Sabah apabila parti politik yang menggunakan naratif ini berjaya menguasai arena politik wilayah Sabah. Persoalannya ialah apakah sebenarnya harapan rakyat dan realiti pelaksanan naratif tersebut di wilayah ini. Sehubungan itu, kajian yang menggunakan kaedah campuran (mixed-method) ini dijalankan bagi tujuan mendedahkan apakah sebenarnya harapan rakyat terhadap naratif politik yang acap kali digunakan oleh aktor-aktor politik bagi menarik sokongan pengundi di Sabah, Malaysia serta realiti pelaksanaan naratif tersebut sejak tahun 1963. Secara keseluruhannya kajian ini mendapati bahawa rakyat di Sabah sejak sekian lama telah meletakkan harapan tinggi supaya naratif politik pembangunan mampu meningkatkan status wilayah ini daripada wilayah mundur kepada wilayah yang maju dalam kerangka persekutuan Malaysia. Namun hakikatnya didapati bahawa naratif politik pembangunan masih tidak berjaya merealisasikan harapan mereka. Pelbagai faktor didapati telah menyumbang kepada kegagalan merealisasikan harapan tersebut. Sehubungan itu, beberapa cadangan dikemukakan untuk memastikan faktor penghalang kepada usaha merealisasikan harapan tersebut dapat ditangani. 

Sabah is one of the regions that make up the Federation of Malaysia. It is in the northern part of the island of Borneo with an area of about 72,500 square kilometres, and borders Sarawak, and is separated from the Malaysian peninsula (formerly known as the Tanah Malaya). Since attaining independence through the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, the political activities in this land have been shaped by various political narratives. Among the political narratives that are continuously used by political actors is the politics of development. The use of the political narrative of development proved to be successful in acquiring political support from the people of Sabah as the political party that used this narrative succeeded in dominating the political arena of this state. Nevertheless, the question now becomes ‘what exactly are the peoples’ expectations and the reality of the implementation of such a narrative in Sabah?’. Accordingly, a study which used the mixed-method approach was conducted at the aim of revealing what the people's expectations are of this political narrative, a political narrative regularly used by political actors to entice the voter in Sabah, Malaysia, as well as the reality of the implementation of such a narrative since 1963. Overall, this study discovered that the people of Sabah has been hoping for a long time that the narrative can significantly contribute in the improvement of development in this land. However, the study found that such a political narrative has not succeeded in realizing their hopes. There are factors contributed to this phenomenon and therefore the study put forwarded recommendations on the way to effectively deal with these factors.

 

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Published

26-06-2025

How to Cite

Joloning Joe Majambu, Romzi Ationg, Saifulazry Mokhtar, & Mohd Azri Ibrahim. (2025). NARATIF POLITIK PEMBANGUNAN DI SABAH, MALAYSIA: ANTARA HARAPAN DAN REALITI: POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT NARRATIVE IN SABAH: EXPECTATION AND REALITY. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW, GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNICATION (IJLGC), 10(40). https://doi.org/10.35631/IJLGC.1040036