KOTA KINABALU : – The Sabah State Legislative Assembly has been dissolved, paving the way for the 17th state election to be held within the next two months.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor made the announcement today after receiving consent from the state’s governor, Tun Musa Aman.
He confirmed the dissolution at a press conference following a meeting with state leaders and backbenchers at Menara Kinabalu, the administrative hub of the state government, as reported by Bernama.
Hajiji, who leads the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, was flanked by deputy chief minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam and leaders from both ruling and allied parties, including United Sabah National Organisation (USNO), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, and Parti Cinta Sabah.
Opposition figures from Pakatan Harapan (PH), including state chairman Datuk Ewon Benedick and Sabah DAP leader Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe, were also present.
Sabah’s legislature comprises 79 seats, of which 73 are elected and six appointed. In the last state election in 2020, GRS and its allies secured 41 seats, defeating Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), which won 23. PH took nine seats.
The political landscape has shifted significantly since then. GRS was formally registered in March 2022, initially comprising Bersatu, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), and the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).
But by November 2022, Hajiji and other leaders quit Bersatu to form Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, and Bersatu was removed from the coalition. In January the following year, Barisan Nasional (BN) withdrew its support, but PH stepped in to shore up Hajiji’s administration.
More recently, STAR and SAPP opted to contest the coming polls under their own party logos rather than the GRS emblem, effectively leaving the coalition.
As it stands, GRS holds 42 seats through its remaining members – Gagasan Rakyat, PBS, USNO, LDP, Harapan Rakyat and PCS.
The opposition bloc consists of Warisan with 14 seats, BN with 12, PH with seven, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat with two and PAS with one. The Sungai Sibuga seat is vacant following the death of its BN incumbent, Datuk Mohamad Hamsan Awang Supain, in January.
The Election Commission is expected to announce polling dates in the coming days. — scoop.my
