Crisis on the Periphery: The Rift Between Kuala Lumpur and Sabah

This article provides an analysis of the current tensions within Malaysia between the federal government in Kuala Lumpur and the state government of Sabah. The Sabah ruling party's departure from the Barisan Nasional (National Front) to join the opposition on the eve of the October 1990 federal elections was the immediate cause of these tensions, but it is clear that the Kuala Lumpur government, particularly the ruling UMNO party and its leader, Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, have been antagonized by the character and aims of Sabah's ruling party, PBS, ever since its formation in 1985. The PBS has been articulating the dissatisfaction of much of Sabah's population who feel the federal government has been trying to undermine the autonomy promised them when Malaysia was formed. The article traces the background of this dissatisfaction since 1963 and analyzes the dangers of the current situation and the prospects for a peaceful resolution of the present tensions, proposing a basis on which such a resolution might be achieved.