This study explored the politics behind the coordination and the implementation of the
poverty eradication program in Sabah during the Barisan Nasional tenure (2003-2017).
Historically, the Barisan Nasional was in power for more than two decades in Sabah.
During the BN tenure, various poverty eradication programs had been implemented
with considerable amount of development funds. Despite the state receiving
considerable amount of development funds, the performance of the implementation of
the poverty program was less successful as compared to other states in Malaysia. To
date Sabah is still reported as the poorest in Malaysia. This study explored how were
the poverty eradication programs coordinated and implemented in Sabah within 15
years of BN’s tenure and what were the challenges that led to the less successful
outcome. This study employed neo-institutions theory by leveraging on historical
institutionalism. As a qualitative study, the primary data collection was elite qualitative
interviews. All interviewees held top level position in the state administration and were
involved directly in the policy-making domain, particularly in in the coordinating and
implementing of the poverty eradication programs in Sabah. The data analyzed by
adapting the thematic data analysis. The final data analysis reveal the form of
institutions emerge in the coordination and implementation of the poverty eradication
programs in the state level which consists of the politics of coordination and
implementation, conflict of interest, political corruption, uneven power relations,
seepage and the patrimonialism.
