KOTA KINABALU, November 30 – Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Hajiji Noor has been sworn in for a second term as Sabah chief minister after securing enough support to cross the 37-seat majority threshold in the 73-member state assembly.
Although GRS officially won 29 seats in the 17th Sabah state election, Hajiji reportedly gained the backing of five independents, three Upko assemblymen and Pakatan Harapan’s sole representative, giving him a slim but sufficient two-seat majority.
The early-morning swearing-in ceremony took place at Istana Seri Kinabalu before Sabah governor Musa Aman. GRS’s ability to retain key constituencies with strong majorities, despite early challenges and shifting alliances, reaffirmed the coalition’s influence in Sabah politics.
Hajiji himself secured a ninth term as Sulaman assemblyman, while leaders such as Masidi Manjun, Rubin Balang, and Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan also held their ground. With Warisan capturing 25 seats and Barisan Nasional obtaining six, the new political landscape signals both continuity and intensified competition as Hajiji begins his second term leading the state.
