Why PAS politician's remark on bread sparked backlash in Sabah

Sabahans mock West Malaysian politicians' perceived disconnect with their concerns

- Hazlin Hassan Malaysia Correspondent and Muzliza Mustafa Malaysia Correspondent

Kedah PAS assemblyman Mansor Zakaria sparked controversy on Nov 12 when he told the state assembly sitting that winning over Sabahans was simple - "Just give them Gardenia bread." The backlash over his remark may affect the votes for the 42 state seats contested by Perikatan Nasional in the Nov 29 state election. PHOTO: MEJ B MANSOR ZAKARIA/FACEBOOK

(MEJ B MANSOR ZAKARIA/FACEBOOK)

Travellers flying to Kota Kinabalu from Kuala Lumpur often carry an unusual souvenir: loaves and packets of Gardenia bread and buns. The Peninsular Malaysian brand has long been prized by Sabahans, perceived as being superior to its East Malaysian counterpart.

But a recent comment by a Perikatan Nasional (PN) politician suggesting that the seemingly innocuous staple food could help win Sabahan votes has backfired spectacularly, embarrassing the federal opposition pact and its Islamist component party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) just days before the Nov 29 state election.

That remark has triggered viral memes mocking West Malaysian politicians' perceived disconnect with Sabahan concerns and reignited longstanding debates over Sabah’s autonomy a sensitive issue rooted in the state’s unique terms of entry into Malaysia in 1963.

The controversy underscores the delicate political dynamics between Peninsular Malaysia and the East Malaysian states, where grievances over resource distribution and federal oversight continue to influence voting patterns.

Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Bung Moktar Radin said in a Facebook video on Nov 24: “This is deeply embarrassing for the people of Sabah and should never have happened. I urge all voters in this Sabah state election... to reject this kind of party that can cause interstate racial disunity, and insult an entire Sabah community.

“It is an act that is unforgivable and must be rejected completely, 100 per cent.”