Sabahans took to the polls on the 29th of November. Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), lead by incumbent Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, emerged as the largest bloc with 29 out of 73 seats. Another local party, Parti Warisan Sabah, came in second with 25 seats. 

With no group reaching the 37-seat threshold for a simple majority, the outcome produced a hung assembly. However, incumbent Chief Minister and GRS’ leader Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor was sworn in to lead the state after securing the backing from Harapan, UPKO, Barisan Nasional and a few independents. 

So, what do these results signal? We speak to Jo-Anna Henley Rampas (PhD candidate), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), and Gayathrey Balakrishnan, interdisciplinary field researcher at University Malaya. She also recently co-authored a paper titled A Storm Brews in the East: Youth Rage and Political Reckoning in Sabah 2025. 

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