WE yet again find the Sabah assembly in the same peculiar predicament as it was in after the 2020 state elections, when the Pakatan Harapan (PH) was ousted by a series of defections.

Members of the Sabah government switched parties, enticed by the offers from Perikatan Nasional helmed by Muhyiddin Yassin. The state government under Mohd Shafie Apdal had no recourse but to dissolve the 73-seat state assembly and call for new polls.

A simple majority of 37 seats is required to form the government.

The Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah, Juhar Mahiruddin must be convinced that the chief minister candidate commands “majority” support as stated in article 6(3) of the Sabah constitution.

So what actually happened in the year 2020, when Warisan won 29 state seats?

History tells us that Juhar met with both chief minister candidates Hajiji Noor and Shafie.

We can only guess at what was discussed behind closed doors. It was announced later that Hajiji was the new chief minister of Sabah.

Interestingly, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), which Hajiji helms, was registered as a political party on February 26, 2020. So it satisfies the requirement of articles 6 and 10(2) of the Sabah Constitution. 

A few days ago, Sabah Barisan Nasional leader Bung Mokhtar Radin said his coalition was withdrawing support for the GRS government. 

Our Yang di-Pertua Negeri will once again have to revisit article 6 in its entirety. 

What recourse does Hajiji’s government have? 

The chief minister could resign so that the office goes to the leader of a political party that commands the confidence of the majority. Or, he could advise the Yang di-Pertua Negeri to dissolve the Sabah assembly for fresh polls.

In conclusion, we could witness a change of government in Sabah. Either way, Hajiji is in a precarious position. –  January 7, 2023.

* Remy Majangkim reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.