Sabah set to hold state polls within 60 days, posing test for Anwar's unity government

KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah’s state legislative assembly was dissolved on Monday (Oct 6), paving the way for elections to be held in the East Malaysian state.

Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor announced the dissolution at the Sabah State Administrative Centre, confirming he had advised Governor Musa Aman on the matter earlier in the morning.

“This paves the way for the 17th state election to be held and allows the people of Sabah to use their democratic right to determine who will lead them. This decision affirms the commitment to democracy and the constitutional process,” he said during a press conference, flanked by other assemblymen.

Sabah’s election is the first in a series of noteworthy state polls - next up are Melaka, Johor and Sarawak - between now and 2028, by when Malaysia’s 16th General Election (GE16) must be held. 

Polls must be held within 60 days of the assembly being dissolved. 

The 16th Sabah polls were held in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government then was dissolved barely more than two years after the last election.  

The Election Commission is scheduled to meet and decide on the official election date.  

The Sabah State Legislative Assembly has a total of 79 seats - 73 of which must be contested, with another six appointed by the governor. 

Hajiji had led the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state government. GRS - an alliance of several local parties - had been working with Pakatan Harapan (PH).

The governing bloc commands over 50 seats, inclusive of nominated seats.

In Sabah, the Opposition is led by Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), together with Barisan Nasional. They have 23 seats, including two nominated seats.

Two seats were vacant - one because of a death and another after a former assemblyman was convicted of a crime.    

PH, BN, GRS, and Warisan, however, are working together at the federal level.    

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), which is part of the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition at the federal level, won 11 seats at the 2020 Sabah polls.

But Bersatu Sabah lost all its seats after its assemblymen - including the current chief minister Hajiji - quit the party en masse to become direct members of GRS in December 2022 following the results of GE15 in 2022, when Bersatu failed to form the federal government.

Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as prime minister on Nov 24, 2022, after GE15 failed to produce a clear winner and resulted in a hung parliament.  

During the press conference, Hajiji said that there was a need for GRS to work closely with the federal government, saying that it had fulfilled nine of the commitments outlined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

MA63 refers to the legal instrument signed in 1963 as the basis of the formation of the Federation of Malaysia. The agreement recognises Sabah and Sarawak not as mere states but as equal partners with West Malaysia.

“This shows that the relationship between the state and federal governments are important for Sabah and its development … While we fight for our rights, we also have to look after the interests of the country also,” said Hajiji.  

Hajiji also claimed that since taking the helm of the Sabah government five years ago, the administration had made improvements to agriculture, industry, tourism, human capital, public well-being, and infrastructure.

“Over the last five years, we have worked to bring change and growth to the state and its people,” he said.

He however said that the state government still had a lot to achieve.

“Our work is not yet finished and there are new challenges. With this dissolution, we seek a fresh mandate from the people to continue our efforts,” he said.

TEST FOR ANWAR AND GRS: ANALYST

The Sabah polls will be a test of how well Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government partners can work together even as their collaboration is not a given at the next General Election, political leaders and analysts previously told CNA.

Political scientist Dr Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia said on Monday the polls would be a test for the federal government and whether Anwar would be able to manage the multi-cornered coalition fighting between the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) - which is part of BN - and GRS.

“The result would then affect state-federal relations and the overall resource allocation for Sabah which requires assistance for infrastructure development,” she said.

Given the election's fragmented and competitive nature, Syaza anticipated post-election negotiations would be necessary to form the state government.

“There may need to be some shifts or upsets after the election during negotiations. But of course this is just a guess looking at the fragmented environment,” she said. 

Sabah is one of Malaysia’s poorest states despite being a major contributor to the country’s oil and gas output, and it is still locked in negotiations with the federal government on returning to its entitlement of 40 per cent of its revenue, which it says is crucial for development.

The polls would also be a test for GRS and its legitimacy after a mining scandal this year.

The scandal involves allegations of high-ranking Sabah lawmakers, including those from GRS, accepting bribes to secure or facilitate mineral prospecting and mining licences in the state.

Two assemblymen - one from BN and another from GRS - as well as the whistleblower have been charged in court with corruption.

The whistleblower - businessman Albert Tei Jiann Cheing - has alleged corruption by other high-profile lawmakers from GRS as well, but no one else has been charged in court.   

“How influential are all these when it comes to voting in the election? Or are identity politics and patronage the main driver?” said Syaza.