Next Sabah state election

The next Sabah state election, formally the 17th Sabah general election, will elect the 17th Sabah State Legislative Assembly. It must be held by 9 December 2025 at the latest, persuant to clause 21(4) of the Constitution of Sabah.[1][2] This date is dependent on when the 16th Legislative Assembly first sits. All 73 seats will be up for contests, presuming no constituencies are added or removed in a redistribution.

Next Sabah state election
By 9 December 2025
All 73 seats in the Legislative Assembly
37 seats needed for a majority
Incumbent Chief Minister

Hajiji Noor
GRS-PGRS


Background

Traditionally, state elections are held simultaneously with the parliamentary election but each state can decide when to hold its election. This is because state assemblies are dissolved by their respective ruler or governor on the advice of the chief minister of the state.

Electoral system

Elections in Malaysia are conducted at the federal and state levels. Federal elections elect members of the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of Parliament, while state elections in each of the 13 states elect members of their respective state legislative assembly. As Malaysia follows the Westminster system of government, the head of government (Prime Minister at the federal level and the Menteri Besar/Chief Ministers/Premier at the state level) is the person who commands the confidence of the majority of members in the respective legislature – this is normally the leader of the party or coalition with the majority of seats in the legislature.

The Legislative Assembly consists of 73 members, known as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), that are elected for five-year terms. Each MLA is elected from a single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post voting system; each constituency contains approximately an equal number of voters. If one party obtains a majority of seats, then that party is entitled to form the government, with its leader becoming the Chief Minister. In the event of a hung parliament, where no single party obtains the majority of seats, the government may still form through a coalition or a confidence and supply agreement with other parties. In practice, coalitions and alliances in Malaysia, and by extension, in Sabah, generally persist between elections, and member parties do not normally contest for the same seats.

The voting age is currently 18.[3][4][5][6] Elections are conducted by the Election Commission of Malaysia, which is under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister's Department. Malaysia practices automatic voter registration but does not practice compulsory voting.

References
  1. "Get ready for state election 'like it's tomorrow', Sabah Umno members told". The Star. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  2. "Warisan engages in talks with UMNO on potential pact for Sabah polls". focusmalaysia.my. 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  3. Nandini Balakrishnan (28 September 2016). "Here's The Fastest Way To Register As A Voter Before The Next Elections". Says.com. Retrieved 9 May 2018. Qualifications needed to register as a voter in Malaysia:
    a) A Malaysian citizen above the age of 21.
    b) A resident of an election constituency.
    c) Is not disqualified by any laws.
  4. "A Young Malaysian's Guide to the Election". Juice. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018. You are not eligible to register if you are:
    a) on the qualifying date, you are serving jail term or detained as a person of unsound mind.
    b) before the qualifying date, you have been convicted or sentenced to death or serving a jail term of more than 12 months and you're still liable on the qualifying date.
    c) found guilty under the Election Offences Act, 1954.
    d) have a foreign citizenship (Malaysian citizenship law does not permit a Malaysian to carry dual citizenship).
  5. "Federal Gazette: Undi18, automatic voter registration to come into effect Dec 15 before Sabah polls". Borneo Post Online. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  6. "Undi18 to come into force Dec 15, but might still be too late for S'wak". Malaysiakini. 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
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