KOTA KINABALU, November 30 — Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has emerged as the leading coalition in the 17th Sabah State Election, securing 29 of the 73 seats contested, according to the full official results announced by the Election Commission early this morning.
Warisan followed with 25 seats, while BN won six, UPKO three, Independents five, STAR two, and PH, PN, and KDM securing one seat each. With 37 seats required for a simple majority, the election ended without any coalition crossing the threshold, placing kingmakers and cross-coalition negotiations at the forefront of Sabah’s post-election landscape.
Despite the hung assembly, GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor was sworn in at about 3am at Istana Seri Kinabalu, marking his return as Chief Minister for a second term. His appointment came amid ongoing negotiations among parties, with UPKO widely believed to be among those lending support.
However, questions remain over which additional blocs tipped the numbers in favour of GRS, as no official announcement has been made regarding the coalition’s final support lineup. The election saw a record 596 candidates and a turnout of over 1.14 million voters, underscoring one of Sabah’s most competitive polls to date.
