Muhyiddin-led GRS wins, staking claim to form 16th Sabah govt
The coalition takes 37 seats in state assembly; Bung Moktar leading CM contender
GABUNGAN Rakyat Sabah (GRS) staked its claim to form the 16th Sabah government after outscoring Warisan Plus in the number of seats it garnered in a keenly contested state election yesterday.
The coalition earned the people’s mandate after securing seats in the west coast, Kadazandusun and Murut-majority areas in the interior and a few surprises in east coast districts.
GRS, made up of Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), garnered 39 seats in the 73seat unicameral state assembly.
BN is made up of Umno, MCA and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah, while PN is made up of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).
For BN, with its 15 seats, it is likely that Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin will be the leading contender for chief minister.
Bung, who is Sabah BN and state Umno chief, won the newly created state seat of Lamag.
In announcing the simple majority win after securing the 37th seat last night, Bung said the matter on who would become the next chief minister would be discussed by the coalition soon.
“As Sabah BN chairman, I would like to thank the Sabah people for their confidence in the party, away from the influence of Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan).
“GRS is having a discussion (with other party members) to determine the direction of the coalition and address problems to ensure that the new government will continue to champion the welfare of the people,” he said.
Bung also thanked the entire Umno machinery and other component parties which had assisted in the win.
“I am confident that the new government will be formed on the basis of friendship and cooperation, InsyaaAllah. We will also discuss in detail the clear direction of the (new) government.”
BN and STAR, the predecessor of GRS, won a combined 31 seats in the 2018 state polls.
Warisan Plus lead by Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and its allies made up of United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) and Pakatan Harapan, which comprises DAP, PKR and Parti Amanah Negara, failed to defend their previous majority in the state assembly and only managed to garner 30 seats overall.
The other three seats were won by independent candidates.
The coalition retained most of its strongholds in east coast districts and Chinese-majority urban seats, along with several seats it previously won in the west coast.
A simple majority in the state assembly is 37 seats and twothirds is 49 seats.
In the 2018 state election, which coincided with the 14th General Election, Warisan garnered 21 seats in the then 60-seat state assembly, followed by DAP (six), PKR (two) and Upko, which contested under the BN banner, won five seats.
A total of 1,088,711 voters out of 1,103,646 normal voters were eligible to vote in the 16th Sabah Election yesterday, as 14,935 had voted by post. Early voting took place on Sept 22 and saw a turn out of 76 per cent.
The previous state legislative assembly was dissolved on July 30. A snap state election was called after a political crisis arose when former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman claimed to have the necessary majority to form a new state government.
This was after several lawmakers from Shafie’s Warisan-UpkoPH coalition crossed over to back the former Sungai Sibuga assemblyman’s bid.
Shafie, however, countered the move by dissolving the state assembly and calling fresh state polls.
The state election saw 447 candidates from various parties contesting 73 state seats, including 13 new seats.
There were 56 independent candidates, while other nominees were from BN (41), PN (29), PBS (22), Warisan (53), Parti Cinta Sabah (73), United Sabah National Organisation (47), Liberal Democratic Party (46), Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (28) and Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (23).
Other parties were United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (12), PKR (seven), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (five), Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (two), Parti Amanah Negara (one), Parti Kebangsaan Sabah (one) and Pertubuhan Perpaduan Rakyat Kebangsaan Sabah (one).
There was no straight fight in the state election. There were three three-cornered fights, five four-cornered fights, 15 fivecornered fights, 26 six-cornered fights, 13 seven-cornered fights, six eight-cornered, three ninecornered fights, one 10-cornered fight and one 11-cornered fight.
The 11-cornered tussle was for the Bengkoka seat, which is under the Kudat parliamentary seat, while the 10-cornered contest was for the Inanam seat under the Sepanggar parliamentary constituency.