1994 Sabah state election

The 1994 Sabah state election was held between Friday, 18 February and Saturday, 19 February 1994. Nomination day was 7 February 1994. The election was one of the most controversial election in Sabah's political history. The election was won by the incumbent ruling party (although the opposition at federal level) Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), winning 25 seats against 23 won by the federal government's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Background The Assembly were dissolved by Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah Said Keruak on advice from Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan on 9 January 1994, 16 months before the Assembly term of 5 years expire, paving the way to a snap election.

PBS has ruled Sabah for almost 9 years since winning the 1985 Sabah state election, winning 3 state elections including 1985, and also were in Barisan Nasional from 1986 until exiting the BN in 1990 and joined opposition pact Gagasan Rakyat with DAP.

Contesting parties Before the election, PBS had already produced 2 splinters, SAPP (which were only formed 3 weeks before on 21 January, and contesting for the first time) and AKAR (formed in 1989, and have contested in 1990 state and federal elections), both which had contested under BN banner. LDP would also contest under BN.

This was the first Sabah state election to feature peninsula-based party United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). UMNO Sabah was born of the merger between United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) and Sabah People's United Front (BERJAYA) in 1991, as a party to counter PBS influence in Sabah.

Other parties contesting included SETIA, BERSEKUTU, DAP (a partner of PBS in Gagasan Rakyat but is contesting in 2 seats against PBS), PAS and independent candidates. SETIA however, through its president Suhaidin Langkap on the eve of the election announced all 14 of its candidates withdrawal from contesting and changing their support for BN, although the candidates name were still on the ballot list.

Candidates No.State ConstituencyIncumbent MemberPolitical coalitions and respective candidates and coalitionsUnited Sabah Party (PBS)Barisan Nasional (BN)SETIAOthersCandidate namePartyCandidate namePartyCandidate namePartyCandidate namePartyCandidate namePartyCandidate namePartyN01BanggiAmir Kahar MustaphaAmir Kahar MustaphaUSNOAbd Mijul UnainiUMNOSaraban LahamanSETIAAbidula AmsanaINDNapson TahirBERSEKUTUN02KudatWong Phin ChungWong Phin ChungPBSKong Hong MingLDPChin Ket PhinSETIATaulani JalaluddinINDMohd Hairul EbukBERSEKUTUN03BengkokaPaul Tom ImbayanPaul Tom ImbayanPBSMasrani ParmanUMNON04MatunggongMathius MajihiMarkus MajihiPBSJelani HamdanUMNOHenry MadatangINDApin SantiINDN05TandekSaibul SupuSaibul SupuPBSSaidi SuariUMNON06LangkonBugie GaladamMaximus OngkiliPBSNewman GabanUMNOLinggu Lincoln LuwingINDN07TempasukRobert Ripin MinggirDausin PangalinPBSPandikar Amin MuliaAKARSuwah BulehINDN08UsukanMustapha HarunBadaruddin MustaphaPBSSalleh Said KeruakUMNOSemat Abdul KarimSETIASalisi UkohINDN09KadamaianBanggai BasirunBanggai BasirunPBSAwadnir MatanggalUMNOHandry RumpitINDMeisen SendelunINDSindeh TelibanINDN10TamparuliWilfred BumburingWilfred BumburingPBSRaji MandailiAKARJunaidi HamdanINDN11SulamanHajiji NoorMatbeh IsmailPBSHajiji NoorUMNOMargaret Fararena Mohd. KimonSETIAPengiran Othman RaufINDN12KiuluGisin LombutGisin LombutPBSSulah RampasAKARN13KundasangEwon EbinEwon EbinPBSKasitah GaddamUMNON14RanauSiringan GubatSiringan GubatPBSMark KodingAKARN15SugutJublee ZenJublee ZenPBSSurady KayongUMNON16LabukTan Yung Hi @ Tan Yong GeeTan Yung Hi @ Tan Yong GeePBSAhmad Thamrin Mohd JainiUMNODenis Tweening RantauINDN17Sungai SibugaThien Fui YunThien Fui YunPBSMusa AmanUMNOSatiman TauranSETIAHamid JanBERSEKUTUN18ElopuraTham Nyip ShenEdmund Chong Ket FahPBSTham Nyip ShenSAPPAng Lian HaiDAPN19Tanjong PapatTan Kit SherLai Lun TzeePBSRaymond Tan Shu KiahSAPPFung Ket WingDAPN20KaramuntingLau Pui KeongLau Pui KeongPBSNg Ket HennSAPPN21SekongPitting Mohd AliPitting Mohd AliUSNONahalan DamsalUMNON22SukauAklee AbassZaki GusmiahPBSAklee AbassUMNOAli AyauSETIAN23KuamutJoseph Sitin SaangJoseph Sitin SaangPBSBung Moktar RadinUMNOAli Latip TahaINDN24TambunanJoseph Pairin KitinganJoseph Pairin KitinganPBSMartin YongAKARJouti AjunINDN25BingkorLawrence GimbangJeffrey KitinganPBSInjon Reynold SedomonAKARAyub AmanINDN26MoyogBernard Giluk DompokBernard Giluk DompokPBSEdwin RichardAKARInus MolukonSETIAClarence Dicsenol Bongkos MalakunINDLoh Chien ChengINDN27InanamStephen Kinson Kutai @ Joni BilinganStephen Kinson Kutai @ Joni BilinganPBSWong Kau Chai SindinSAPPSalim AdimSETIAN28LikasYong Teck LeeYee Moh ChaiPBSYong Teck LeeSAPPN29Api-ApiChau Tet OnChau Tet OnPBSTerence Chong Nyim FattSAPPN30SembulanPeter Chong On TetChau Chin TangPBSChong Eng LeongLDPJohn Chin Fook FaatSETIAThien Yun FahINDN31PetagasJames LigunjangJames LigunjangPBSYahya HussinUMNOJames Andrew VitalesINDN32KawangAriah Tengku AhmadAriah Tengku AhmadPBSOsu SukamUMNONorbert Chin Chuan SiongINDJohn DagulINDDurig SumpangINDN33Buang SayangCladius Sundang AlexCladius Sundang AlexPBSAbdul Rahim IsmailUMNOJuali AhmadSETIAN34BongawanKarim BujangNarawi AhmadPBSKarim BujangUMNOAjmain Abdul GaniINDN35Kuala PenyuWences AnggangWences AnggangPBSMohd Zahari ZininUMNOIsmail SallehINDN36KliasLajim UkinLajim UkinPBSAnifah AmanUMNON37LumadanDayang Mahani Pengiran Ahmad RaffaeSadih NasahPBSDayang Mahani Pengiran Ahmad RaffaeUMNON38SipitangJamilah SulaimanJamilah SulaimanPBSSapawi Amat WasaliUMNON39TenomKadoh AgundongKadoh AgundongPBSWong Yit MingLDPLawrence Hassim RikiSETIALimun LaikimINDJinuin JiminINDN40KemabongEsar AndamasRubin BalangPBSBobbey Ah Fang SuanUMNOLim AntukaSETIAN41SookJoseph KurupJoseph KurupPBSTaimin LumaingUMNON42NabawanAdut Sigoh @ Joe Said BesarAdut Sigoh @ Joe Said BesarPBSAhuar RasamUMNON43MerotaiMohd Said SenangMohd Said SenangUSNOAbdul Ghapur SallehUMNOHamud SallehSETIAMohamad TingkaPASN44Sri TanjongMichael Lim Sun YangMichael Lim Sun YangPBSGeoffrey Yee Lung FookSAPPArmanus ArshadPASN45Lahad DatuAskalanai Abdul RahimAskalanai Abdul RahimUSNOMohamad Yusof Amat JamleeUMNOBenjamin UsmanBERSEKUTUIsmail OT AtorINDN46KunakSalim BachuSalim BachuUSNOUnding LanaUMNOSarip WahirunBERSEKUTUNilwan KabangINDN47BalungIsmail JookSari SuhutPBSAbdul Mannan JakasaUMNOLung Wing SangSETIAAhmad AwangPASIsmail JumaINDN48SulabayanNasir SakaranAbdillah Abdul HamidPBSSakaran DandaiUMNOAbdul Rajin Mandul HatiBERSEKUTUKiling OT TiringIND Reference:

Results Source:

Aftermath As per stated above, PBS won the election by a tight margin. PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan was sworn in as chief minister of Sabah, his fourth time, on 21 February 1994, together with the state EXCO members. However, less than a month later, as a result of defections by elected PBS assemblymen to BN, Pairin was forced to resign on 17 March 1994, and PBS was forced out of power, resulting in BN forming government in Sabah. Sakaran Dandai, leader of UMNO and BN in Sabah, was sworn in as the new Chief Minister on the same day.

Bernard Dompok, the former PBS vice-president, formed Parti Demokratik Sabah (PDS) with 18 assemblymen (PDS later changed name to UPKO). Joseph Kurup left PBS and formed Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS). Jeffery Kitingan, Pairin's brother, also left PBS and joined Angkatan Keadilan Rakyat (AKAR). All of these parties stated their support to BN, and later joined BN. As a result of these defections, PBS was left with 5 seats.

The outcome of this election and the defections resulted in the term katak being coined in, the literal meaning of which is "frog", due to the actions of PBS members "jumping" to another political party.

CM rotation system

After BN regains power in Sabah, it introduced Chief Minister rotation system between Muslim bumiputera, Non-Muslim bumiputera, and Chinese leaders for two year tenure each. This was one of the promises of BN during the election campaign. Sakaran only become CM for less than one year before resigning and accepting the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah role on 1 January 1995; Salleh Said Keruak replaced him. Yong Teck Lee of SAPP then becomes CM from 1996 to 1998, before Bernard Dompok took the CM role from 1998 to 1999, when the Sabah Assembly was dissolved to make way for the state election on February that year.

See also 2009 Perak constitutional crisis

Further reading James Chin. Sabah State Election of 1994: End of Kadazan Unity, Asian Survey, Vol. 34, No. 10, 1994, pp. 904–915

References