Sabah's 1st State Election in 1967 (Part 1)

Although North Borneo gained self-rule from Britain on 31 August 1963 and became Sabah, part of Malaysia on 16 September the same year; the first election for the State Legislative Assembly seats did not take place until April 1967.

Prior to 1967, Members of the Assembly (or Legislative Council as the British called it) were chosen in two ways. They were either appointed direct by the colonial government or chosen from electoral colleges formed through elections for the local district councils or town boards in the case of the bigger towns like Kota Kinabalu (then Jesselton). In other words, some of the YBs (called the Honourable in those days) were elected indirectly.

That was why the 1967 election was also known as Sabah's first direct general election as for the first time the Assembly Members were elected directly. However, with this the elections for the local councils were also slowly phased-out.

From Independence in 1963 till the 1967 election, Sabah saw two Chief Ministers. The first was the late Tun Haji Mohd. Fuad Stephens, then Dato' Donald Stephens (left picture) who was CM from 31 August 1963 to 31 December 1964. Next was Tan Sri Peter Lo, then Dato' Peter Lo (center picture) who was Sabah's chief executive from 1 January 1965 till April 1967.

Lo created history when he became the first Chinese Chief Minister in 1965. He created another history in the 1967 election when he lost to an Independent candidate, the first CM in Sabah's history to do so! But that was not the only reason why he was no longer the CM after he election. Even had he won, his party (Sabah Chinese Association) would only have six seats (including himself) whereas its partner Usno had 14.

Usno president, the late Tun Datu Haji Mustapha Datu Harun (right picture) had earlier resigned as Sabah's first Yang Di-Pertua Negara (Governor) to contest in the election so he could be CM. After having been sworn-in as Governor on 31 August 1963, it did not take Mustapha long to realise that the governorship was only a figurehead and No.1 only in protocol and that the real power rested with the CM who is the chief executive of the State, although protocol-wise he was only No.2.

A total of 32 elected seats for the State Legislative Assembly were at stake in the 1967 election. The Muslim-based USNO won 14 seats and Kadazan or Christian-based UPKO obtained 12 seats, with the Chinese-based SCA winning 5 while the remaining seat went to an Independent in Sandakan (accountant Datuk Yap Pak Leong who later became a Minister under the Berjaya government in 1976).

All three parties, USNO, UPKO and SCA were members of the Sabah Alliance prior to the election and although they contested against each other in most areas it was meant to be a 'friendly contest'. All 3 parties had representatives in the State Cabinet from 1963 till the election. However, by the time the State Assembly was dissolved to pave way for Sabah's first direct election in 1967, relations between USNO led by Tun Mustapha and UPKO led by Tun Fuad had soured to the point of sabotaging each other.

Furthermore, as they say politics is a number game and with the election results known, both USNO and UPKO courted SCA with a view to form a two-party coalition government. Both USNO and UPKO wanted to outdo each other or, as they say in politics, 'kill' each other. "Kill or be killed", as they also say in politics. SCA opted for USNO and a coalition government was formed with Tun Mustapha as Chief Minister and SCA's Datuk Khoo Siak Chiew (father of current Sabah MCA leader Datuk Edward Khoo) as his Deputy. They still called it the Sabah Alliance government except this time minus UPKO.

Conclusion: When Tun Mustapha formed his State Cabinet, he purposely left one ministerial post vacant. Those days there were only 9 ministers (now 11) including the CM. When within weeks UPKO's Kiulu Assemblyman, the late Datuk Payar Juman switched camp and was appointed a Minister, it became clear why Mustapha had left one post vacant.

When weeks turned into months a few other UPKO Assemblymen followed suit and jumped; thus the term 'the political frogs of Sabah' was born. Some became Assistant Ministers, the rest were given other lucartive government posts. To cut the long story short, when only a handful of UPKO Assemblymen were left and USNO becoming stronger and stronger, Tun Fuad Stephens dissolved UPKO "in the name of Bumiputra (Natives) unity" and its members were encouraged to join USNO. (Note: Starting at this point SCA had outlived its usefulness to USNO and Sabah's Chinese were beginning to be ignored politically.)

Stephens was later appointed Malaysia's High Commissioner to Australia. He also embraced Islam, changing is name from Donald to Mohd. Fuad. When his tour of duty in Australia ended, Stephens was made Sabah's 3rd Governor in 1973. By then he and Mustapha, his one-time arch-rival and sworn-enemy, had become 'blood brothers'. Even Stephen's daughter was engaged to Mustapha's son. Indeed, Mustapha and Stephens became the two most powerful men in Sabah once again, just like the old days of 1963-64; except this time in reversed roles.

But alas, man proposes but God disposes and as they say all good things must come to an end. The seemingly unshakable 'dream team' of Mustapha and Stephens finally cracked in 1975 when Stephens dumped his blood brother to lead the newly-formed and Kuala Lumpur-backed Berjaya party; taking over from Harris Salleh, the initial leader. Even the children's engagement was called off! USNO people of course called it back-stabbing (especially your own blood brother) but to Stephens it might have been 'sweet revenge'. We don't know. He did not live to write his memoirs. He died in a plane crash barely weeks after becoming Chief Minister for the second time after Berjaya won the 1976 election, defeating USNO.

I can go on and on but I guess better leave some materials for another time. One thing I have learnt through the years though - "History always repeats itself" - so said one of my former bosses who was a historian by training.

Tomorrow: Results of the 1967 election in Part 2. Stay tuned.