It's Official: GRS Takes Sabah But No Decision Yet On Who Will Be The Next CM
The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition won 38 seats out of the 73 total seats.
By Sadho Ram — 27 Sep 2020, 01:14 AM
The Election Commission (SPR) has now announced the official results of the 16th Sabah state Elections, in which Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) claimed a majority by winning 38 out of 73 state assembly seats
Warisan Plus managed to win 32 seats with the remaining three going to three independent candidates.
The official results were announced close to midnight on 26 September 2020. Prior to which there were some last-minute turnarounds, which saw Warisan and GRS tied at 25 seats each for a while.
GRS was formed on 12 September and is made up of several parties
"For starters, those in this coalition will be PN, BN, and PBS," Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said this on 12 September while announcing the formation of the grand coalition.
For the record, PN stands for Perikatan Nasional, the ruling unofficial coalition in the Federal Government that is led by Bersatu and is supported by Barisan Nasional (BN), Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), and Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) since March 2020.
BN is Barisan Nasional that consists of United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS).
PBS stands for Parti Bersatu Sabah, which is a member party of GBS together with Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), PBRS, and allied member Parti Progresif Sabah (SAPP).
However, while GRS has won the state, the coalition led by Muhyiddin has yet to decide on who will be the new Chief Minister of Sabah
Back on 12 September, the Prime Minister had hinted that if GRS forms the government in Sabah, Bersatu's Hajiji Mohd Noor will be a potential candidate for the post of the Sabah CM. However, UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said that any candidate will be determined after the election is over.
The UMNO president has since said that he leaves it entirely to the Sabah State Assemblymen (ADUN) to determine the CM candidate
According to Zahid Hamidi, while GRS should hold talks on the matter, norms dictate that candidate from the party with the most seats will be appointed the new chief minister.
"Let the people of Sabah determine the chief minister without any clue that shows who the person is either from Kuala Lumpur or Putrajaya," he said, as reported by Astro Awani.
Meanwhile, following the victory, PM Muhyiddin took to his official Facebook page where he addressed the voters in a live broadcast
According to him, GRS will deliver on the pledges made during campaigning in Sabah.
"As the Prime Minister, whatever I have said during the Sabah campaign, God-willing, I will fulfil them soonest," he said while thanking supporters and volunteers.
