The Tamesis
November 26, 2025
Kota Kinabalu— Travelers flying from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu commonly bring an uncommon memento: gardenia bread and buns. This Peninsula Malaysian brand name has actually long been preferred by Sabahans and is taken into consideration above East Malaysian brand names.
Yet current remarks by Perikatan Nasional (PN) political leaders that this apparently harmless staple might aid win Sabah ballots has actually backfired, shaming the government resistance union and its Islamist participant event Parti Islam Malaysia (), simply days prior to the Nov 29 state political election.
The statement stimulated an on-line conversation that buffooned West Malaysian political leaders as inaccessible with the worries of Sabahans and reignited the enduring dispute over Sabah’s freedom – a delicate problem coming from the state’s special regards to entrance right into Malaysia in 1963.
The dispute highlights the fragile political characteristics in between states in Peninsular and East Malaysia, where discontentment over source allowance and government oversight remains to form ballot patterns.
Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Bong Moktaratin stated in a Facebook video clip on November 24: “This is an extremely awkward point for individuals of Sabah and must not take place whatsoever. I advise all citizens in this Sabah state political election … to deny this sort of political event that might result in inter-state racial disunity and disrespect the whole Sabah neighborhood.”
” This is untenable actions and should be 100% denied.”
The dispute started on Nov 12, when Kedah MP Mansor Zakaria informed the state setting up that winning the assistance of Sabahans would certainly be easy, claiming: “Simply provide gardenia bread.”
Mr Mansor has actually given that asked forgiveness, however the reaction over the MP’s remarks might still impact enact 42 of the 73 state seats disputed by PN, 6 of which will certainly be disputed by his event.
For numerous Sabahans, gaffes have actually ended up being an extremely genuine resources problem.
The reason Sabahans love Gardenia Bread in Peninsular Malaysia is easy: this brand name is various from the bread in Sabah.
The initial Gardenia was generated by Gardenia Bakeries (KL), developed in 1986 as a joint endeavor in between Singaporean food firm QAF and Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas), a core gamer in the Malaysian rice and paddy sector.
QAF likewise runs Gardenia in Singapore and the Philippines.
According to the Gardenia site, the brand name’s background go back to 1969, when American baking master Horatio Sye Slocumm started opening up a bakeshop in Malaysia.
On the other hand, the firm that accredits the Gardenia brand name in East Malaysia and Indonesia is an additional firm: Sabah representative Kim Teck Cheong Consolidated. Before 2020, the permit was held by an additional Sabah firm, Tong Hing Holdings.
” We have various items, various monitoring, various plans and various os,” Gardenia Bakeries (KL) stated in a declaration in January 2020.
Under a long-lasting arrangement in between both suppliers, neither firm is enabled to disperse or offer its items in the various other’s market.
This brings 2 gardenias, 2 solutions, 2 line of product and 2 unique experiences to Malaysian customers.
Lots of East Malaysians declare the peninsular variation is softer and more delicious, while they firmly insist the variation back home is drier and has a much smaller sized series of offerings.
In feedback to the gaffe, Warisan fans in Sabah sang a gardenia track at the election facility in Putatan on November 15, buffooning PN and , Malay everyday Celebrity Daily reported.
Social media site is flooded with memes, from head of state Hadi Awang embracing a Gardenia loaf of bread as a memento when showing up to project in Sabah, to pictures of various other event leaders driving Gardenia delivery van.
Sabahans shared their viewpoints on-line, consisting of comic Atul No, that commonly purchases Peninsula Gardenia bread to repossess to Sabah, and stated he was angered by the MP’s statements.
He uploaded on Instagram on November 13: “My heart harms when a grownup claims unsuitable points that must never ever originate from somebody that believes they’re smart.”
In troubleshooting setting, PN leaders clamber to consist of the after effects in Sabah, where the nation currently encounters an uphill struggle. has actually never ever won an elected seat in Sabah, although it protected its initial chosen seat in 2020 after Sabah representative Aliakbar Gulasan was selected to the placement.
Hamza Zainudin, replacement chairman of the National Organization and the replacement chairman of the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, a vital component event of the National Organization, stated that the problem has actually been overemphasized.
” I believe it’s simply a problem that’s been elevated and hyped up by unreasonable individuals,” he informed press reporters on Nov. 16.
Datuk Arikbar stated in a video clip on his social media sites account on November 13: “Sabahans are sensible individuals. Not simply gardenia bread, not also wide range or cash can get Sabahans.”
Various other PN participant events, such as Gerakan, have actually likewise soft-pedaled solid resistance to the bargain’s opportunities at the surveys.
Gerakan Vice Chairman Goh Tung Keung stated on November 20: “Locals are a lot more concerned concerning flooding, inadequate financial healing, website traffic, sanitation and safety and security.”
For numerous Sabahans, the mayhem likewise exposed that bread is an additional enduring icon of the distinctions in between East and West Malaysia.
Sabahans have actually sustained persistent water scarcities and regular power blackouts. Although the resource-rich state adds considerably to Malaysia’s oil and gas incomes, the state still has the highest possible destitution price in the nation at 17.7%, according to the current information from the Division of Data Malaysia in October 2025.
Ms Analia Kamaruddin, a 40-year-old replacement public district attorney from Putrajaya that commonly takes a trip to Sabah for court process, informed The Straits Times on a current trip from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu that she constantly brought gardenia bread as a present on her means home.
” They like gardenias,” she stated, describing her colleagues in Sabah, while flaunting a bag full of greater than 40 loaves.
” I have durian, lotion, delicious chocolate and more. It behaves to get gardenia bread. The in your area made bread, although the product packaging is comparable, does not taste as great.”
She located Mr Mansor’s remarks “horrible” and stated: “He must not be teasing Sabahans similar to this.”
She had not been the just one bring a bag of Gardenia Bread on her trip to Sabah. ST observed that a minimum of one traveler on the very same trip was bring a bag full of bread, which Ms Analia kept in mind was typical.
When inquired about Sabah’s gardenia bread, a store proprietor in Kota Kinabalu that desired to continue to be confidential quipped: “It’s not such as bread from (Peninsular Malaysia), it tastes various.”
