Hajiji sworn in, but who really tipped the numbers in Sabah?

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 30 — Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor was sworn in as Chief Minister at 3.11am on Sunday, after reportedly securing a simple majority in the 17th Sabah State Election.

The coalition he leads clinched the largest share of seats—29 in total—according to the full official results announced by Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun.

However, it remains unclear which other parties joined forces with GRS to secure that simple majority from the 73 seats in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly.

The central question is: who exactly tipped the numbers in Hajiji’s favour? No official explanation has yet been offered.

The results, formally presented to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah Tun Musa Aman at Istana Seri Kinabalu this morning, showed Parti Warisan winning 25 seats, Barisan Nasional (BN) six, Independent five, United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) three, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STARSabah) two, and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) one.

Pakatan Harapan (PH) managed to capture only a single seat, Melalap, where Datuk Jamawi Jaafar triumphed in an eight-cornered contest with 5,064 votes.

Jamawi, formerly a GRS member, was said to have joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) at the eleventh hour under PH, before being announced as the coalition’s candidate by party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

According to sources, Upko is believed to be among the parties backing Hajiji, reportedly on the condition that the new government must be formed exclusively with local Sabah-based parties.

Beyond that, there has been no clarity on who else may have pledged support. Only official media were permitted inside Istana Seri Kinabalu, and even their reports offered no explanation.

The EC recorded a voter turnout of 1,148,476 or 64.35 per cent comprising ordinary, early, and postal voters. This election saw a record 596 candidates from 24 political parties and independent platforms contesting 73 seats, the highest number ever in a Sabah state election.

More than 1.76 million Sabahans were registered to vote.

Meanwhile, Hajiji successfully retained his Sulaman seat with a significantly increased majority. 

He secured 10,639 votes in a five-cornered fight, almost doubling his tally of 5,919 from 2020. 

His majority soared to 8,919 votes, compared to 3,099 in the previous election. — The Borneo Post

[Source: Malay Mail]