Sabah elections: blow for Malaysia’s Anwar as partner party shines, but key ally wiped out
Local partner Gagasan Rakyat Sabah secured 29 seats, but the PM’s Democratic Action Party allies lost all eight seats they contested
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) federal coalition was dealt a disastrous blow in Malaysia’s Sabah state, where a key partner was completely wiped out in a state election seen as a referendum on his leadership.
Saturday’s polls were widely seen as a decisive contest that could set the political trajectory for Anwar’s federal administration with just two years before a national election must be called by early 2028 at the latest.
Early on Sunday, the Election Commission announced that incumbent Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), PH’s local partner, had won 29 of the 73 seats up for grabs. PH clinched one seat through Anwar’s own Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
GRS rival Warisan came in second with 25 seats. Barisan Nasional (BN) took six, United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) won three, and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) took two seats.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Malaysia (KDM) won one seat each, while independent candidates took the remaining five.
GRS chairman Hajiji Noor was sworn in for a second term as chief minister soon after, in a sign that the incumbents had managed to secure sufficient support to form a simple majority of at least 37 seats in Sabah’s legislative assembly.