The 2025 Sabah state election, formally known as the 17th Sabah general election, will determine the composition of the 17th Sabah State Legislative Assembly. The election is required to be held by December 6, 2025, at the latest, in accordance with Clause 21(4) of the Constitution of Sabah. This deadline is calculated based on the first sitting of the 16th Legislative Assembly on October 9, 2020, meaning the election must occur no later than December 8, 2025—exactly 60 days after the automatic dissolution of the Assembly. All 73 legislative seats are expected to be contested unless changes are made to the constituencies during a redistribution process.
Electoral System
The electoral process in Sabah follows the system used for state elections across Malaysia. The 73 members of the Sabah Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will be elected through a first-past-the-post voting system, with each MLA representing a single-member constituency. Each constituency is designed to have an approximately equal number of voters. Elections are held every five years, and the leader of the party or coalition securing the majority of seats typically becomes the Chief Minister of the state.
In the event of a hung parliament, where no single party achieves a majority, the government can be formed through coalition agreements or confidence and supply arrangements between parties. The voting age in Sabah is set at 18, and the Election Commission of Malaysia oversees the election process, which includes automatic voter registration, though voting is not compulsory.
Background and Political Landscape
While state elections in Malaysia are often held alongside federal elections, each state has the autonomy to set its own election schedule, with state assemblies dissolved by the respective ruler or governor on the advice of the state’s Chief Minister.
As of 2025, the formation of a unity government has led to a situation where all political parties in Sabah are part of the government. However, notable exceptions include Warisan and Barisan Nasional (BN), which are not part of the current state-level coalition. The unity government in Sabah is expected to proceed with seat negotiations, wherein parties may choose not to contest certain seats, allowing only one candidate from the unity government to run.
Party Preparations for the Election
Ahead of the 2025 election, various political parties have made significant moves in preparation:
– Barisan Nasional (BN) and United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), under the leadership of Sabah Chairman Bung Moktar Radin, ruled out the possibility of collaborating with the gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, which is led by Chief Minister Hajiji Noor. GRS, however, has expressed openness to cooperation with other parties, particularly Pakatan Harapan (PH), which joined the Sabah government after BN withdrew during the 2023 Sabah political crisis.
– Parti Warisan Sabah (WARISAN) has also shown interest in working with GRS but was reportedly rebuffed in its attempts to discuss such collaborations.
– Perikatan Nasional (PN), making its first appearance in the Sabah election, intends to contest all 73 state seats. This has led to tension within the coalition, as the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), which was previously aligned with PN, decided to exit the coalition due to disagreements over contesting rights. SAPP will now stand as part of GRS, even though it has been associated with PN since 2020. Other PN component parties such as Sabah BERSATU, PAS, and Gerakan have previously contested and won seats in Sabah under different coalitions.
– Social Democratic Harmony Party (KDM), led by Peter Anthony, confirmed its intention to contest the election independently, targeting 43 state seats. Anthony, who represents the Melalap constituency, announced that he would not stand for re-election due to a pending court case. After losing his final appeal in March 2025, Anthony was sentenced to jail, and his daughter, Priscella Peter, was appointed acting president of the party.
– Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) also confirmed on January 16, 2025, that it would participate in the state election.
Conclusion
As the 2025 Sabah state election approaches, the political landscape remains dynamic, with multiple parties vying for influence and negotiating potential alliances. The election will be closely watched for its impact on the future direction of the state’s leadership and political dynamics.
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