2023 Sabah political crisis

2023 Sabah political crisis
Date6 January – 12 February 2023 (2023-01-06 – 2023-02-12)
(crisis end)
25 May 2023
(final outcome - approval of the new law, The Sabah Anti-Switching Parties Law 2023)[1]
LocationSabah, Malaysia
Also known asKinabalu Move
(Malay: Langkah Kinabalu)
Cause
Participants
Outcome
  • Bung Moktar sacked as Deputy CM
  • Takeover of GAGASAN and local parties by former BERSATU members and leaders
  • Inclusion of Sabah PH in the cabinet
  • Five Sabah UMNO assemblymen left to join GAGASAN
  • (Final Outcome) 25 May 2023 - Sabah State Legislative Assembly approved the Anti-Switching Parties Law after various of Sabahan minister see the bad result of frogs habit between the Sabahan ministers.[3]

The 2023 Sabah political crisis or widely reported on local media as Langkah Kinabalu or the Kinabalu Move, began on 6 January 2023, when the state government of Sabah led by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) collapsed when its coalition party Barisan Nasional (BN) withdrew its support.[4] The Leader of UMNO Sabah, a component party of BN, Bung Moktar Radin, Kinabatangan Member of Parliament (MP) and Lamag Assemblyman, cited a lack of confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister of Sabah Hajiji Noor in the withdrawal. UMNO Sabah want to change support from supporting GRS coalition to supporting the WARISAN Plus coalition.[5] On 9 January, both Malaysian leaders, prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi travelled to Kota Kinabalu to meet with Sabah political leaders.[6] This crisis resulted in the approval of the Anti-Switching Parties Law in Sabah (approved in 25 May 2023).[7]

As of 6 February, there have been no changes in the status quo regarding the government of Sabah, following the decision of 5 UMNO MLAs who publicly supported Hajiji despite Bung's decision, and a reshuffle of the state cabinet on 11 January as a result.[8] As of 25 May 2023, Sabah State Legislative Assembly finally approved the Anti-Switching Parties Law (Anti-frogs habit).[9]

  1. ^ "Sabah's history of party hopping has ended, says Hajiji". The Star News. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  2. ^ "BERSATU leader leave the party due to the rise of political islam narrative".
  3. ^ "Sabah's history of party hopping has ended, says Hajiji". The Star News. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  4. ^ Kamil, Asyraf (9 January 2023). "CNA Explains: What the Sabah political impasse means for federal politics". CNA. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  5. ^ "New political crisis in Malaysia as Sabah government falls after Umno exits". South China Morning Post. 7 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. ^ Fong, Durie Rainer; Vanar, Muguntan; Lee, Stephanie (9 January 2023). "Anwar arrives in KK to resolve Sabah's political crisis". The Star. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Sabah's history of party hopping has ended, says Hajiji". The Star News. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Sabah chief minister Hajiji reshuffles Cabinet, drops UMNO state chief Bung Moktar". CNA. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  9. ^ "Sabah's history of party hopping has ended, says Hajiji". The Star News. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.