00:00Arthur Joseph Kurup's appointment as Sabah Barisan National Chairman has been hailed as a positive move for the coalition,
00:08though he faces a daunting task following its dismal outing in the November 29 state polls.
00:15Lee Kwok Teung of University Malaysia Sabah said the Parti Besatu Rakyat Sabah president's biggest challenge
00:22will be navigating seat negotiations ahead of the 16th general election due by February 2028.
00:30He said UMNO, seen as the big brother in BN, is bound to push hard for the largest possible share of seats to contest.
00:38PBRS, on the other hand, with only one parliamentary and a solitary state seat to its name,
00:45Pensiangan and Suk, both held by Kurup, is likely to have little leverage in negotiations.
00:51Lee noted that PBRS has long depended on the Kurup family's dominance in Pensiangan and Suk,
00:58but said the new Sabah BN chairman must now expand beyond his local base to establish himself as a statewide leader.
01:07University Malaya's Awang Azman Paui said the coalition's future hinges on the new leadership's ability to build trust,
01:15foster unity and advance a convincing yet realistic Sabah First agenda.
01:20Pan Yuzhou, FMT
01:22Pan Yuzhou FMT
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