KOTA KINABALU – The 17th Sabah State Election concluded with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) securing the largest share of seats, though the coalition fell short of the simple majority required to form the government outright.
Unofficial tallies show GRS winning 29 seats out of the 73 contested, leaving them eight short of the 37 needed for a majority. Parti Warisan followed with 18 seats, while Barisan Nasional (BN) claimed 14 seats.
Smaller parties and independents also made inroads: Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured two seats, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) won two, United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) each took one, and independents captured five.
The election was marked by intense competition, with a record 596 candidates contesting across 73 constituencies. Voter turnout stood at 60.94%, slightly lower than the 2020 polls.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor successfully defended his Sulaman seat, while Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal retained Senallang. Upko leader Datuk Ewon Benedick also held Kadamaian.
In contrast, Democratic Action Party (DAP) suffered a major setback, losing all eight seats it contested, including traditional strongholds in Likas, Luyang, and Kapayan.
Analysts suggest the fragmented outcome reflects Sabah’s fluid political landscape, where multi-cornered fights often produce unpredictable results.
With no party commanding a majority, coalition negotiations are now critical. Pakatan Harapan has already signalled willingness to work with GRS, with discussions reportedly underway.
Political observers note that the outcome underscores Sabah’s reliance on coalition-building, a trend that has defined its politics for decades. The state’s diverse electorate, including a significant number of first-time Undi18 voters, played a role in shaping the results.
As negotiations continue, attention turns to whether GRS can consolidate support from BN, PH, and independents to secure a stable administration. The coming days will determine whether Sabah heads towards a broad coalition government or faces prolonged uncertainty.
The count for the 17th Sabah State Election is now in full swing, with preliminary, unofficial results indicating a tight race between the incumbent Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition and opposition Parti Warisan (WARISAN).
Polling closed statewide at 5:30 PM, concluding a high-stakes election day that saw 60.94% voter turnout as of 4:00 PM, according to the Election Commission (EC). The EC is maintaining its projection of a final turnout around 60%, with full results expected to be officially confirmed around midnight.
As of 9:00 PM (Local Time), early counting suggests the race is highly fragmented, reinforcing analysts’ predictions that no single coalition will secure an outright simple majority of 37 seats.
Coalition / Party Seats Won (Confirmed) Seats Leading (Unofficial) Total Seats GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) 2 27 29 WARISAN (Parti Warisan) 1 18 19 BN (Barisan Nasional) 0 14 14 PH (Pakatan Harapan) 0 5 5 Independent 0 5 5 Others (incl. PN) 0 1 1 TOTAL (Of 73 seats) 3 70 73
The fragmented early results point toward intense post-election negotiations, with the smaller parties and independent winners likely holding the balance of power.
The key question remains whether GRS can solidify enough support, or if a united opposition, potentially involving WARISAN, BN, and other parties, can quickly coalesce to form a new government.
