Flashback: 1985 Sabah State Elections
March 1st, 2008The 1985 Sabah State Elections shall forever be remembered as the year mighty Berjaya fell from power. Amazing, because 4 years earlier they won with a huge majority: more than 40 seats, out of the 48 available.
It was also the elections when probably the greatest upset in the history of Malaysian politics happened. The president of Berjaya and Chief Minister of Sabah, YAB Datuk Harris Mohd Salleh was defeated by a complete unknown. Result:
N39 Tenom (now Melalap) had 6,000+ voters, and 78% turned up.
Datuk Harris Mohd. Salleh (BN-Berjaya): 1,727
Arajai b. Mantias (BERSEPADU): 37
Kadoh Agundong (PBS): 2,622
Leong Chau Chu (USNO): 427
That means, Agundong won by 895 votes!
I can still remember when the results were announced. It was late at night, I was tucked in bed in a fully residential school in KK. You know the drill in such schools: the teachers are typically ultra-strict disciplinarians, and once lights are out, total silence is expected. But who could resist turning on the radio, as quietly as possible, while listening intently to the results being announced, aware that history was in the making. Then, when the Tenom result was announced, a collective scream / whoop could be heard all around the block. Perhaps the same kind of scream when one hears of one’s invisalign cost. Further, it was surreal, from total silence, to pandemonium lasting about 2 seconds, to total silence again 
In 1985, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok has not made his mark yet:
N26 Moyog
Conrad Mojuntin (BN-Berjaya): got a mere 932
Ignatius Stephen Malanjum (president of Pasok): 5,067
Malanjum won by 4,135.
In Kiulu, not even Tun Fuad’s wife could save Berjaya from defeat. It was the start of the Gisin Lombut era:
N12 Kiulu
Abdul Kadir Baba (USNO): 637
Gisin Lombut (PBS): 2,289
Toh Puan Hajjah Rahimah Stephens (BN): 1,462
Gaibin bin Ransoi (BERSEPADU): 45
Ismail bin Talip @ Ismail bin Taib (BEBAS): 14
Abdul Kahim bin Abdul Sanip (BERSIH): 36
Toh Puan Hajjah Rahimah lost by 827 votes.
In Tamparuli, it was the start of the Bumburing era:
N10 Tamparuli
Milton bin Buja (BERSEPADU): 145
Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing (PBS): 3,222
Aziz bin Giom (USNO): 809
Johnny bin Lumpisau (BN-Berjaya): 1,429
Bumburing won by 1,793
In Sook, it was the start of the Kurup era, and the end of the Tan Sri Suffian Koroh era:
N41 Sook
Tan Sri Suffian Koroh (BN): 1,836
Anip bin Ismail (USNO): 735
Joseph Kurup (PBS): 3,808
Dullah bin Kandihong (BERSEPADU): 83
Kurup won by almost 2,000 votes!
However, as usual, the great Tun Mustapha simply could not be beaten, not even by Berjaya’s Salleh Tun Said, himself a future chief minister:
N8 Usukan
Abdul Mumin Haji Mulia (BERSIH): 326
Semat b. Hj. Abd Karim (BERSEPADU): 19
Tun Mustapha (USNO): 3,747
Mohd. Salleh Tan Sri Mohd Said (BN): 2,587
Dupalan b. Sakandar @ Charles (PBS): 761
Tun Mustapha won by 1,160 votes. The PBS candidate was relegated to third.
And of course the other person who was never beaten in any elections in his entire political career was Datuk (now Tun) Sakaran Dandai, the future Governor:
N48 Sulabayan
Osman b Hj. Abd Kadir (BERSIH): 637
Marasal bin KK Lais (BN-Berjaya): 2,093
Datuk Haji Sakaran b. Dandai (USNO): 4,901
Margin of victory: 2,808
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I was barely 9yo during that time, yet, seated next to my pop & my younger bro was busy ticking who won with total the votes and all.. hehehe.. kici-kici odi gila politic. We were estatic when PBS won! Those were the days!
I still remember the 1981 state elections, following the cars to various kampungs campaigning for Berjaya. Back then, there were no hard and fast rules as to where and how you put up your “banners”: even roads and boulders were painted with Undilah Berjaya! And all the shops had their outsides spoilt by the posters pasted on them!