Editing Sarawak (section)

=== Government ===
{{See also|Constitution of the State of Sarawak|Government of Sarawak|Cabinet of Sarawak|Elections in Sarawak|Sarawak State Legislative Assembly}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Composition of the [[19th Sarawak State Legislative Assembly]]
|-
| colspan=5 | [[File:Sarawak State Legislative Assembly 20211224 mrfo.svg|300px]]
|-
! colspan="2" |Affiliation
! Leader in the Assembly
! Status
! Current seats <br /> ([[2021 Sarawak state election|2021<br />election]])
|-
|style="background:{{party color|Sarawak Parties Alliance}}"|
|[[Gabungan Parti Sarawak]] (GPS)
|[[Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg]]
|[[Government of Sarawak|Government]]
|80<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reporters |first=F. M. T. |date=8 April 2024 |title=PSB-PDP merger good for state's progress, says Sarawak minister |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/04/08/psb-pdp-merger-good-for-state-progress-says-sarawak-minister/ |access-date=15 April 2024 |website=Free Malaysia Today |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:{{party color|Pakatan Harapan}}" |
|[[Pakatan Harapan]] (PH)
|[[Chong Chieng Jen]]
|[[Opposition (Malaysia)|Opposition]]
|2
|-
! colspan="4" |Total
!82
|-
! colspan="4" |Government majority
!70
|}

[[File:Timeline of evolution of political parties in Sarawak.svg|thumb|upright=1.3636|right|Timeline of political parties in Sarawak]]
The head of the Sarawak state is the [[List of Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak|Yang di-Pertua Negeri]] (also known as TYT or Governor), a largely symbolic position appointed by the [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]] (King of Malaysia) on the advice of the Malaysian federal government.<ref name=Governance>{{cite web |title=About Sarawak – Governance |url=http://www.spu.sarawak.gov.my/governance.html |website=Official website of State Planning Unit – Chief Minister's Department of Sarawak |access-date=14 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913195537/http://www.spu.sarawak.gov.my/governance.html |archive-date=13 September 2013}}</ref> The position has been held by [[Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar]] since 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yang di-Pertua Negeri |url=http://www.sarawak.gov.my/web/home/article_view/173/189/ |publisher=Sarawak Government |access-date=12 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907192409/http://www.sarawak.gov.my/web/home/article_view/173/189/ |archive-date=7 September 2015}}</ref> The TYT appoints the [[Premier of Sarawak|Premier]], currently held by [[Abang Johari Openg]] ([[Gabungan Parti Sarawak|GPS]]),<ref>{{cite web |title=Abang Johari Ketua Menteri baharu Sarawak |url=http://www.bharian.com.my/node/234039 |website=BH Online |date=13 January 2017 |publisher=Berita Harian |access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref> as the [[head of government]]. Generally, the leader of the party that commands the majority of the state Legislative Assembly is appointed as the chief minister; democratically elected representatives are known as state assemblymen. The state assembly passes laws on subjects that are not under the jurisdiction of the [[Parliament of Malaysia]] such as land administration, employment, forests, immigration, merchant shipping and fisheries. The state government is constituted by the premier, the cabinet ministers and their deputy ministers.<ref>{{cite web |title=My Constitution: Sabah, Sarawak and special interests |url=http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/constitutional_law_committee/my_constitution_sabah_sarawak_and_special_interests.html |publisher=[[Malaysian Bar]] |access-date=13 November 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20161119121428/http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/constitutional_law_committee/my_constitution_sabah_sarawak_and_special_interests.html |archive-date=19 November 2016 |date=2 February 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Malaysian and Sarawak passport entry stamps.jpg|thumb|Because the government of Sarawak controls immigration, foreign nationals entering Sarawak receive an additional entry stamp]]
To protect the interests of the Sarawakians in the Malaysian federation, special safeguards have been included in the [[Constitution of Malaysia]]. These include: control over immigration in and out of the state as well as the residence status of non-Sarawakians and Sabahans, limitations on the practice of law to resident lawyers, independence of the Sarawak High Court from the High Court Peninsular Malaysia, a requirement that the Sarawak Chief Minister be consulted prior to the appointment of the chief judge of the Sarawak High Court, the existence of Native Courts in Sarawak and the power to levy sales tax. Natives in Sarawak enjoy special privileges such as quotas and employment in public service, scholarships, university placements, and business permits.<ref>{{cite web |title=My Constitution: About Sabah and Sarawak |url=http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/constitutional_law_committee/my_constitution_about_sabah_and_sarawak.html |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120204222005/http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/constitutional_law_committee/my_constitution_about_sabah_and_sarawak.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 February 2012 |publisher=Malaysian Bar |access-date=13 November 2015 |date=10 January 2011}}</ref> Local governments in Sarawak are exempt from local council laws enacted by the Malaysian parliament.<ref name=95D>[[s:Constitution of Malaysia#Article 95d|Article 95D]], Constitution of Malaysia. Accessed on 6 August 2008.</ref> This level of autonomy means Sarawak is sometimes referred to as a "region", to differentiate it from less autonomous states.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 April 2021 |title=Muhyiddin calls Sarawak a 'region', Malaysia's model of unity |url=https://www.theborneopost.com/2021/04/02/muhyiddin-calls-sarawak-a-region-malaysias-model-of-unity/ |access-date=12 April 2021 |website=Borneo Post Online |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Kuching Sarawak Dewan-Undangan-Negeri-Sarawak-01.jpg|thumb|left|The [[New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building|State Assembly building]] is located near the Kuching waterfront.]]
Major political parties in Sarawak can be divided into three categories: native Sarawak Bumiputera (PBB and PBM), native Sarawak Dayak (PRS, PDP, PBDSB, etc.), and non-Bumiputera (SUPP, PSB, PBK, etc.); Parties, however, may also include members from more than one group.<ref>{{cite book |last1=R.S |first1=Milne |last2=K.J |first2=Ratnam |title=Malaysia: New States in a New Nation |date=2014 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-135-16061-6 |page=71 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_kiaAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA69 |access-date=14 November 2015 |quote=...&nbsp;the major parties in each state fall quite neatly into three categories: native-non-Muslim, native-Muslim, and non-native.}}</ref> The first political party, the Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP), was established in 1959, followed by the Parti Negara Sarawak (PANAS) in 1960 and the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) in 1961. Other major political parties such as Parti Pesaka Sarawak (PESAKA) appeared by 1962.<ref name=Fairlandsarawak/><ref group=note>Alastair, 1993. The first political party, the Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP)&nbsp;... (page 118)&nbsp;... By 1962, there were six parties&nbsp;... (page 119)</ref> These parties later joined the national coalition of the Alliance Party. The Alliance Party (later regrouped into [[Barisan Nasional]]) has ruled Sarawak since the formation of Malaysia. The opposition in Sarawak has consistently alleged that the ruling coalition uses various types of vote-buying tactics in order to win elections.<ref name="Faisal"/><ref group=note>Faisal, 2012. ...dispensed state funds for development projects in order to buy votes... (page 14)</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Vote-buying, treating, illegal campaigning mars Sarawak polls, says Bersih 2.0 |url=https://aliran.com/coalitions/clean-and-fair-elections/11th-sarawak-state-election-marred-vote-buying-treating-illegal-campaigning/ |access-date=18 June 2017 |publisher=Aliran |date=17 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527000227/https://aliran.com/coalitions/clean-and-fair-elections/11th-sarawak-state-election-marred-vote-buying-treating-illegal-campaigning/ |archive-date=27 May 2016}}</ref> [[Stephen Kalong Ningkan]] was the first [[Chief Minister of Sarawak]] from 1963 to 1966 following his landslide victory in local council elections. However, he was ousted in 1966 by [[Tawi Sli]] with the help of the [[Malaysian government|Malaysian federal government]], causing the [[1966 Sarawak constitutional crisis]].<ref name=Fairlandsarawak/>
{{multiple image
| align = right
| direction =
| width =
| image1 = Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar 2023.jpg
| width1 = 150
| alt1 = Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar
| caption1 = [[Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak|Yang di-Pertua Negeri]], [[Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar]]
| link1 = Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar
| image2 = Abang Johari UNIMAS meeting.jpg
| width2 = 153
| alt2 = Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg
| caption2 = [[Premier of Sarawak|Premier]], [[Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg]]
| link2 = Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Abang Openg
}}
In 1969, the [[Sarawak state election, 1969|first Sarawak state election]] was held, with members of the Council Negri being directly elected by the voters. This election marked the beginning of ethnic [[Melanau]] domination in Sarawak politics by [[Abdul Rahman Ya'kub]] and Abdul Taib Mahmud. In the same year, the North Kalimantan Communist Party (NKCP) which subsequently waged a guerrilla war against the newly elected Sarawak state government, was formed. The party was dissolved after the signing of a peace agreement in 1990.<ref name="chanwong"/> 1973 saw the birth of [[Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu]] (PBB) following a merger of several parties.<ref name=DAPJOURNAL>{{cite journal |last1=Chin |first1=James |year=1996 |title=The Sarawak Chinese Voters and Their Support for the Democratic Action Party (DAP) |journal=Southeast Asian Studies |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=387–401 |publisher=Kyoto University Research Information Repository |url=http://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/56593/1/KJ00000131931.pdf |access-date=19 June 2014}}</ref> This party would later become the backbone of the Sarawak BN coalition. In 1978, the [[Democratic Action Party]] (DAP) was the first West Malaysia-based party to open its branches in Sarawak.<ref name=DAPJOURNAL/> Sarawak originally held state elections together with national parliamentary elections. However, the then chief minister Abdul Rahman Ya'kub delayed the dissolution of the state assembly by a year to prepare for the challenges posed by opposition parties.<ref name="Faisal">{{cite book |last1=Faisal |first1=S Hazis |title=Domination and Contestation: Muslim Bumiputera Politics in Sarawak |date=2012 |publisher=[[Institute of Southeast Asian Studies]] |isbn=978-981-4311-58-8 |page=91 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nhAU_JcFNZ0C&pg=PA86 |access-date=11 December 2015 |quote=The strongman-politician postponed the ''negeri'' election ... (page 91)}}</ref> This made Sarawak the only state in Malaysia to hold state elections separate from the national parliamentary elections since 1979.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cheng |first1=Lian |title=Why Sarawak is electorally unique |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/04/07/why-sarawak-is-electorally-unique/ |access-date=12 January 2016 |newspaper=The Borneo Post |date=7 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623190736/http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/04/07/why-sarawak-is-electorally-unique/ |archive-date=23 June 2015 |quote=For this reason, Sarawak held its state and parliamentary elections separately – and has been adhering to the practice since 1979 whereas all the other states still hold the two elections concurrently (see Table).}}</ref> In 1983, SNAP started to fragment into several splinter parties due to recurrent leadership crises.<ref>{{cite news |title=SNAP faces more resignations over BN move |url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/09/snap-faces-more-resignations-over-bn-move/ |date=9 January 2013 |last=Tawie |first=Joseph |work=[[Free Malaysia Today]] |access-date=19 June 2014 |archive-date=13 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113164442/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/09/snap-faces-more-resignations-over-bn-move/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Analysis: Party loyalty counts for little in Sarawak |url=http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/analysis-party-loyalty-counts-for-little-in-sarawak |date=23 May 2014 |last=Mering |first=Raynore |newspaper=[[The Malay Mail]] |access-date=19 June 2014}}</ref> The political climate in the state was stable until the [[1987 Ming Court Affair]], a political coup initiated by [[Abdul Taib Mahmud]]'s uncle to topple the Taib-led BN coalition. However, the coup was unsuccessful and Taib retained his position as chief minister.<ref>{{cite news |title=SPECIAL REPORT: The Ming Court Affair (subscription required) |url=http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/51574 |date=9 January 2013 |work=[[Malaysiakini]] |access-date=23 June 2014}}</ref>

Since the [[Sarawak state election, 2006|2006 state election]], the Democratic Action Party (DAP) has derived the majority of its support from urban centres and became the largest opposition party in Sarawak.<ref>{{cite news |title=BN retains Sarawak, Taib sworn in as CM |url=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2011/04/16/unofficial-results-bn-retains-sarawak/ |date=16 April 2011 |work=[[Free Malaysia Today]] |access-date=23 June 2014 |archive-date=13 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113155746/http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2011/04/16/unofficial-results-bn-retains-sarawak/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2010, it formed the [[Pakatan Rakyat]] coalition with [[Parti Keadilan Rakyat]] (PKR) and [[Parti Islam Se-Malaysia]] (PAS); the latter two parties had become active in Sarawak between 1996 and 2001.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/24/nation/6125445&sec=nation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425074915/http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F4%2F24%2Fnation%2F6125445&sec=nation |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 April 2010 |title=DAP: Sarawak Pakatan formed to promote two-party system |last=Chua |first=Andy |date=24 April 2010 |work=[[The Star (Malaysia)]] |publisher=Star Publications |access-date=23 June 2014}}</ref> Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia where West Malaysia-based component parties in the BN coalition, especially the [[United Malays National Organisation]] (UMNO), have not been active in state politics.<ref>{{cite news |title=Muhyiddin: Umno need not be in Sarawak |url=http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/02/14/Muhyiddin-Umno-need-not-be-in-Sarawak/ |date=14 February 2014 |last=Ling |first=Sharon |newspaper=[[The Star (Malaysia)]] |access-date=23 June 2014}}</ref>

On 12 June 2018, the [[Gabungan Parti Sarawak|Sarawak Parties Alliance]] was formed by the BN parties in the state in the aftermath of an historic meeting of party leaders in Kuching, where they decided that in light of the BN defeat in the [[Malaysian general election, 2018|2018 Malaysian general election]] and the changing national situation and a new government, the parties will leave the BN altogether.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/06/12/sarawak-bn-parties-pull-out-of-coalition/ |title=Sarawak BN parties pull out of coalition to form independent state-based pact |author1=Sharon Ling |author2=Geryl Ogilvy |work=The Star |date=12 June 2018 |access-date=12 June 2018}}</ref> In conjunction with the celebration of [[Malaysia Day]] in 2018 under the new government, Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]] has promised to restore the status of Sarawak (together with Sabah) as an equal partner to Malaya, where all three parties (and then, Singapore) formed Malaysia in accordance to the [[Malaysia Agreement]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/09/16/sabah-sarawak-to-be-restored-as-equal-partners-forming-malaysia-not-just-component-states-says-dr-m/ |title=Sabah, Sarawak to be restored as equal partners forming Malaysia, says Dr M |author1=Stephanie Lee |author2=Fatimah Zainal |work=The Star |date=16 September 2018 |access-date=17 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/sabah-sarawak-to-be-restored-as-equal-partners-forming-malaysia-not-just-component |title=Sabah, Sarawak to be restored as equal partners forming Malaysia, not just component states, says PM Mahathir |work=The Star/Asia News Network |publisher=The Straits Times |date=16 September 2018 |access-date=17 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917012801/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/sabah-sarawak-to-be-restored-as-equal-partners-forming-malaysia-not-just-component |archive-date=17 September 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> However, through the process of the proposed [[Proposed 2019 amendment to the Constitution of Malaysia|amendment to the Constitution of Malaysia]] in 2019, the bill for the amendment failed to pass following the failure to reach two-thirds majority support (148 votes) in the Parliament with only 138 agreed with the move while 59 abstained from the voting.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/no-twothirds-majority-bill-make-sabah-sarawak-equal-partners |title=No two-thirds majority for Bill to make Sabah, Sarawak equal partners |author=Adam Aziz |publisher=The Edge Markets |date=9 April 2019 |access-date=10 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410021305/https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/no-twothirds-majority-bill-make-sabah-sarawak-equal-partners |archive-date=10 April 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/133634/status-of-sabah-sarawak-stays/ |title=Status of Sabah, Sarawak stays |work=Bernama |publisher=Daily Express |date=10 April 2019 |access-date=10 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410022521/http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/133634/status-of-sabah-sarawak-stays/ |archive-date=10 April 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> On 14 December 2021, the proposed amendment was passed in the [[Parliament of Malaysia|Parliament]] unanimously with 199 votes in favour, and 21 MPs absent from the 6-hour long debate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zulkifli |first=Ahmad Mustakim |date=14 December 2021 |title=MPs unanimously vote for constitutional amendments to empower Sabah, Sarawak |url=https://www.malaysianow.com/news/2021/12/14/mps-unanimously-vote-for-constitutional-amendments-to-empower-sabah-sarawak/ |access-date=14 December 2021 |website=MalaysiaNow |language=en-GB}}</ref>