Sabah election: Incumbent ruling pact GRS poised to win and form state government with PM Anwar’s PH
Unofficial results show the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition ahead of rival Warisan, with the secretary-general of PM Anwar’s party also saying that GRS looks set to form the next state government.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) supporters waving party flags during a campaign rally in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. (Photo: 鶹/Fadza Ishak)
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KOTA KINABALU: ’s incumbent ruling coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) looks set to form the next state government after unofficial election results on Saturday (Nov 29) showed it is poised to claim the lion’s share of seats.
As of 11pm on Saturday, GRS has won 29 seats, while its ally Pakatan Harapan (PH) - led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim - clinched one seat through the premier’s own Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), according to unofficial results reported by Malaysian news agency Bernama and local media outlets.
Warisan, a bitter rival of GRS-PH, could have to settle for a berth in the opposition again after a disappointing performance with 23 seats reportedly won despite contesting in all 73 seats.
Bernama reported that the other parties that have claimed seats so far are Barisan Nasional (BN - nine seats), United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO - one seat), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR - one seat), and Perikatan Nasional (PN - one seat). Four seats went to independent candidates.
Polling closed at 5pm on Saturday.
’s state legislature assembly has 73 seats, which means GRS-PH needs seven more seats to claim a simple majority.
PKR’s secretary-general Fuziah Salleh claimed in a press conference livestreamed on Saturday evening that GRS chairman Hajiji Noor has obtained the numbers to form the new Sabah government.
Bernama also reported that PKR vice-president Amirudin Shari is holding discussions with Hajiji on the formation of the new Sabah government.
This outcome paves the way for Hajiji to serve a second term as ’s chief minister, pending appointment by the state’s governor Musa Aman.
But Warisan secretary-general Loretto Padua Jr told reporters in the early hours of Sunday that GRS does not have the "right" to form a state government as its seat numbers were "questionable".
"Because as long as it's not from Warisan, they (GRS) count them in, and say they have the numbers," he said.
While Loretto acknowledged some parties have approached Warisan about combining seats, he said the party needs to discuss this internally first.
"We have to see if a coalition is good for the people of Sabah," he added.
A government with just a simple majority is not likely to be a strong one, meaning GRS-PH is likely to rope in other parties.
PH and BN are in a separate pact, while STAR and UPKO are former component parties of GRS and PH, respectively.
In response to a question by 鶹 on Friday on whether BN would align with Warisan or GRS if it cannot secure a simple majority, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said: “We will work with any party to form the government.”
In 2020, GRS won 38 seats and formed the state government. Back then, the coalition comprised the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO - 14 seats), Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu - 11 seats), Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS - seven seats), and STAR (six seats).
The Warisan Plus coalition won 32 seats, comprising Warisan (23 seats), Democratic Action Party (DAP - six seats), PKR (two seats), and UPKO (one seat).
The remaining three seats were claimed by independent candidates.
Following that election, GRS went on to form the state government while Warisan became the opposition.
At this year’s election, GRS competed as a coalition of six local parties including PBS, together in alliance with PH, which comprises PKR and DAP.
PH also formed a separate pact with the UMNO-led BN coalition, while Warisan, STAR, UPKO and the Bersatu-led Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition went solo.
While it looks likely that a coalition government involving GRS and PH would administer Sabah for another five years, the results were still damning for PH component party DAP.
DAP, considered popular in several Chinese-majority urban seats, lost all eight seats it contested this time round, despite winning six out of seven in 2020.
Conceding defeat in a statement at about 8.30pm, DAP chief Anthony Loke said the party accepts and respects the decisions by voters.
“The party leadership will take lessons from this outcome, reassess all our shortcomings, and strive to regain the support of the people in the next election,” he said, adding that he takes full responsibility for DAP’s defeat.
Sabah DAP chief Phoong Zhin Je was defeated by Warisan’s Tham Yun Fook in Likas, which was previously held by DAP.
The leaders of GRS (Hajiji in Sulaman), Warisan (Shafie Apdal in Senallang), BN (Bung Moktar Radin in Lamag), STAR (Jeffrey Kitingan in Tambunan), and UPKO (Ewon Benedick in Kadamaian) all reportedly retained their seats.
’s entitlement to 40 per cent of the revenue it contributes to the federal government was a constant hot button issue, while an alleged mining corruption scandal tainting the incumbent GRS-PH alliance featured prominently in the final days of the campaign.
Other issues that dominated the campaign include longstanding municipal woes such as inadequate water and electricity supply, and poor road infrastructure.
A record 596 candidates - including 74 independents - vied for 73 seats, with all constituencies hosting multi-cornered fights and four-way contests the minimum.
The Election Commission is expecting official results to be out around midnight, depending on weather conditions.
