Editing Sabah (section)

== Politics ==

=== Government ===
{{see also|Government of Sabah|Cabinet of Sabah|Sabah State Legislative Assembly|Politics of Malaysia|Table of precedence of Sabah}}

[[File:KotaKinabalu Sabah Sabah-State-Administrative-Centre-02.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Sabah State Administrative Centre|State Administrative Building]] (right), behind the [[Wisma Innoprise]] (left).]]
Sabah (together with its neighbour Sarawak) has a greater level of autonomy in administration, immigration, and judiciary which differentiates it from the Malaysian Peninsula states. The [[Yang di-Pertua Negeri]] is the [[head of state]] although its functions are largely ceremonial.<ref name="state government structure">{{cite web |url=http://www.sabah.gov.my/main/en-GB/Home/GovernmentStructure |title=State Government Structure |publisher=Sabah State Government |date=14 April 2016 |access-date=18 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160517220358/http://www.sabah.gov.my/main/en-GB/Home/GovernmentStructure |archive-date=17 May 2016 }}</ref> Next in the hierarchy are the [[Dewan Undangan Negeri|state legislative assembly]] and the state cabinet.<ref name="Group"/><ref name="state government structure"/> The [[List of Chief Ministers of Sabah|chief minister]] is the [[head of government]] as well the leader of the state cabinet.<ref name="state government structure"/> The legislature is based on the [[Westminster system]] and therefore the chief minister is appointed based on his or her ability to command the majority of the state assembly.<ref name="Group"/><ref>{{cite book |author=Jane Knight |title=International Education Hubs: Student, Talent, Knowledge-Innovation Models |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xbDBAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA101 |date=2013 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-94-007-7025-6 |page=101}}</ref> While local authorities being fully appointed by the state government owing to the suspension of local elections by the federal government. Legislation regarding state elections is within the powers of the federal government and not the state.<ref name="Group"/> The assembly meets at the state capital, Kota Kinabalu. Members of the state assembly are elected from 73 constituencies which are delineated by the [[Election Commission of Malaysia]] and do not necessarily have the same voter population sizes.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/08/10/sabah-gets-13-new-state-assembly-seats/ |title=Sabah gets 13 new state assembly seats |author=Jenne Lajiun |newspaper=[[The Borneo Post]] |date=10 August 2016 |access-date=11 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811091833/http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/08/10/sabah-gets-13-new-state-assembly-seats/ |archive-date=11 August 2016 }}</ref> A general election for representatives in the state assembly must be held every five years, when the seats are subject of [[universal suffrage]] for all citizens above 21 years of age. Sabah is also represented in the [[Parliament of Malaysia|federal parliament]] by 25 members elected from the same number of constituencies.

Prior to the formation of Malaysia in 1963, the then [[Crown Colony of North Borneo|North Borneo interim government]] submitted a [[20-point agreement]] to the [[Federation of Malaya|Malayan government]] as conditions before North Borneo would join the federation. Subsequently, North Borneo legislative assembly agreed on the formation of Malaysia on the conditions that North Borneo's rights would be safeguarded. North Borneo then entered Malaysia as an [[Autonomous entity|autonomous]] state with autonomous laws in immigration control and [[Aboriginal title|Native Customary Rights]] (NCR), and the territory name was changed to "Sabah". However, under the administration of the [[United Sabah National Organisation]] (USNO) led by Mustapha Harun, this autonomy has been gradually eroded with federal government influence and hegemony with a popular belief among Sabahans that both USNO and UMNO have been working together in permitting [[Illegal immigrants in Malaysia|illegal immigrants]] from the southern Philippines and Indonesia to stay in the state and become citizens to vote for Muslim parties.<ref name="Sadiq2008">{{cite book |author=Kamal Sadiq |title=Paper Citizens: How Illegal Immigrants Acquire Citizenship in Developing Countries |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xDa6LrF1yCIC&pg=PA49 |date= 2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-970780-5 |pages=49–178}}</ref> This was continued under the [[Sabah People's United Front]] (BERJAYA) administration led by Harris Salleh with a total of 73,000 [[Refugees of the Philippines|Filipino refugees]] from the southern Philippines were registered.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/print/65247 |title=Berjaya govt let 73,000 refugees into Sabah |author=Paul Mu |publisher=New Sabah Times |date=7 December 2014 |access-date=16 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216085317/http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/print/65247 |archive-date=16 December 2014 }}</ref> In addition, the cession of Labuan island to federal government by the Sabah state government under BERJAYA rule and unequal sharing and exploitation of Sabah's resources of petroleum have become grievances often raised by Sabahans, which has resulted in strong anti-federal sentiments and even occasional call for [[secession]] from the federation among the people of Sabah.<ref name="Lim2008"/> Those who spread secession agenda often landed in law enforcement hand due to the controversial ISA act, such as [[1991 Sabah political arrests]].<ref>{{cite journal |jstor=23746929 |title=A 'New Sabah' and the spell of development: resolving federal-state relations in Malaysia |author=Francis Loh Kok-Wah |journal= South East Asia Research|date=March 1996 |pages=63–83 |volume=4 |issue=1|doi=10.1177/0967828X9600400105 }}</ref>

[[File:KotaKinabalu Sabah DewanUndanganNegeriSabah-01.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Sabah State Legislative Assembly Building]] in Kota Kinabalu.]]
Until the [[Malaysian general election, 2008|2008 Malaysian general election]], Sabah along with the states of [[Kelantan]] and [[Terengganu]], were the only three states in Malaysia that had ever been ruled by [[Opposition (Malaysia)|opposition parties]] not part of the ruling BN coalition. Under [[Joseph Pairin Kitingan]], PBS formed the state government after winning the [[Sabah state election, 1985|1985 state election]] and ruled Sabah until 1994. In the [[Sabah state election, 1994|1994 state election]], despite PBS winning the elections, subsequent cross-overs of PBS assembly members to the BN component party resulted in BN having the majority of seats and hence took over the helm of the state government.<ref>{{cite book |author=Boon Kheng Cheah |title=Malaysia: the making of a nation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Owo39zRMQbwC&pg=PA63 |access-date=26 May 2013 |year=2002 |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |isbn=978-981-230-175-8 |page=63}}</ref> A unique feature of Sabah politics was a policy initiated by Prime Minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]] in 1994 whereby the chief minister's post is rotated among the coalition parties every two years regardless of the party in power at the time, thus theoretically giving an equal amount of time for each major ethnic group to rule the state. However, in practice, this system was problematic as it is too short for any leader to carry out long-term plans.<ref>{{cite book |author=Chin Kin Wah |title=Southeast Asian Affairs 2004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8mKsed7mQzQC&pg=PA157 |date= 2004 |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |isbn=978-981-230-238-0 |page=157}}</ref> This practice was then since stopped.<ref>{{cite book |author=Meredith L. Weiss |title=Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Malaysia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I4XZBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA85 |date= 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-62959-7 |page=85}}</ref> Political intervention by the federal authorities, for example, an introduction and later abolition of the chief minister's post and earlier [[1986 Sabah riots|PBS-BERJAYA conflict in 1985]], along with co-opting rival factions in East Malaysia, are examples of political tactics used by the then UMNO-led federal government to control and manage the autonomous power of the Borneo states.<ref>{{cite book |author=Frederik Holst |title=Ethnicization and Identity Construction in Malaysia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0oQeVK4YjMC&pg=PP48 |access-date=26 May 2013 |date= 2012 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-136-33059-9 |page=48–}}</ref> The federal government however tend to view that these actions are justifiable as the display of [[Parish pump politics|parochialism]] among East Malaysians is not in harmony with nation building. This complicated Federal-State relationship has become a source of major contention in Sabah politics.<ref name="Lim2008"/>

{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         =
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| image1            = Penampang Sabah Musa-Aman-during-Kaamatan-2014-01.jpg
| width1            = 100
| alt1              = Juhar Mahiruddin
| caption1          = [[Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah|Yang di-Pertua Negeri]], [[Musa Aman]]
| link1             = Juhar Mahiruddin
| image2            = Hajiji Noor.png
| width2            = 128
| alt2              = Shafie Apdal
| caption2          = [[List of Chief Ministers of Sabah|Chief Minister]], [[Hajiji Noor]]
| link2             = Hajiji Noor
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}}

In the [[Malaysian general election, 2018|2018 general election]], [[Shafie Apdal]]'s [[Sabah Heritage Party]] (WARISAN) secured an electoral pact with the [[Democratic Action Party (Malaysia)|Democratic Action Party]] (DAP) and [[People's Justice Party (Malaysia)|People's Justice Party]] (PKR) of the [[Pakatan Harapan]] (PH) coalition. On 9 May 2018, this coalition and the Barisan Nasional ended in a tie.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/05/10/hung-assembly-in-sabah-sees-intense-political-horsetrading/|title=Hung assembly in Sabah sees intense political horse-trading|author1=Muguntan Vanar|author2=Fatimah Zainal|work=The Star|date=10 May 2018|access-date=11 May 2018}}</ref> However, as six BN elected representatives crossed over to WARISAN,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/05/12/pbs-leaves-bn-musa-aman-to-join-pbs/|title=PBS leaves BN, Musa Aman to leave Umno and join PBS|author1=Stephanie Lee|author2=Fatimah Zainal|work=The Star|date=12 May 2018|access-date=12 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/politics/2018/05/368460/warisan-now-has-35-seats-enough-form-state-government-shafie-nsttv|title=Warisan now has 35 seats, enough to form state government: Shafie [NSTTV]|author1=Avila Geraldine|author2=Norasikin Daineh|newspaper=New Straits Times|date=11 May 2018|access-date=12 May 2018}}</ref> and after a short-lived constitutional crisis,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theborneopost.com/2018/05/12/sabah-having-two-cms-sparks-constitutional-crisis/|title=Sabah having two CMs sparks constitutional crisis?|newspaper=The Borneo Post|date=12 May 2018|access-date=13 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/05/13/musa-aman-i-am-still-the-chief-minister/|title=Musa Aman: I'm still the Chief Minister|author=Fatimah Zainal|work=The Star|date=13 May 2018|access-date=13 May 2018}}</ref> a coalition of WARISAN, DAP and PKR formed a majority government on 12 May 2018 and became effective since that day.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bharian.com.my/berita/politik/2018/05/425460/istana-serah-surat-kepada-musa|title=Istana serah surat kepada Musa|trans-title=The palace handed Musa a letter|language=ms|newspaper=Berita Harian|date=14 May 2018|access-date=14 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.utusan.com.my/berita/politik/tun-juhar-arah-musa-letak-jawatan-1.671428|title=Tun Juhar arah Musa letak jawatan|trans-title=Tun Juhar urges Musa to resign|author=Rodelio Junjun Taucan|language=ms|newspaper=Utusan Malaysia|date=12 May 2018|access-date=13 May 2018|archive-date=12 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512204839/http://www.utusan.com.my/berita/politik/tun-juhar-arah-musa-letak-jawatan-1.671428}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.astroawani.com/berita-politik/warisan-tidak-akan-sama-dengan-umno-shafie-apdal-175366|title=Warisan tidak akan sama dengan UMNO – Shafie Apdal|trans-title=Warisan will never be the same as UMNO – Shafie Apdal|author=Ruzaini Zulkepli|language=ms|publisher=Astro Awani|date=13 May 2018|access-date=13 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://says.com/my/news/breaking-musa-aman-is-no-longer-sabah-cm|title=[BREAKING] Musa Aman Is No Longer Chief Minister Of Sabah|author=Samantha Khor|publisher=Says.com|date=14 May 2018|access-date=14 May 2018}}</ref> In conjunction with the celebration of [[Malaysia Day]] in 2018 under the new government, Prime Minister Mahathir has promised to restore Sabah (together with Sarawak) status as an equal partner to Malaya who together forming the Malaysian federation 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}}</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 first 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}}</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}}</ref> Subsequently, a [[2021 amendment to the Constitution of Malaysia|second bill]] for the amendment was tabled in 2021 and was passed unanimously by the Malaysian Parliament.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/12/754317/dewan-rakyat-approves-constitution-amendments-empower-sabah-sarawak|title=Dewan Rakyat approves constitution amendments to empower Sabah, Sarawak|last=Yunus|first=Arfa|work=New Straits Times|date=14 December 2021|access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref>

=== Administrative division ===
{{main|Divisions of Malaysia|Districts of Malaysia|List of local governments in Malaysia|Local government in Sabah}}
Sabah consists of five administrative divisions, which are in turn divided into 27 districts. For each district, the state government appoints a village headman (known as ''ketua kampung'') for each village. The administrative divisions were inherited from the provinces of the British administration.<ref>{{cite book|author=Great Britain. Foreign Office|title=British and Foreign State Papers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_9kMAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA237|year=1888|publisher=H.M. Stationery Office|page=237}}</ref> During the British rule, a [[Resident (title)|Resident]] was appointed to govern each division and provided with a palace (''Istana'').<ref>{{cite book |author=K. G. Tregonning |title=A History of Modern Sabah (North Borneo, 1881–1963) |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofmoderns0000treg |url-access=registration |year=1965 |publisher=University of Singapore}}</ref> The post of the Resident was abolished and replaced with district officers for each of the district when North Borneo became part of Malaysia. As in the rest of Malaysia, local government comes under the purview of state government.<ref name="Group"/> However, ever since the suspension of local government elections in the midst of the [[Malayan Emergency]], which was much less intense in Sabah than it was in the rest of the country, there have been no local elections. Local authorities have their officials appointed by the executive council of the state government.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20552/volume-552-I-8058-English.pdf |title=United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Malaysia – Agreement concerning certain overseas officers serving in Sabah and Sarawak. Signed at Kuala Lumpur on 7 May 1965 |publisher=United Nations |date=28 January 1966 |access-date=19 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519032013/https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20552/volume-552-I-8058-English.pdf |archive-date=19 May 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20886/volume-886-I-12699-English.pdf |title=United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Malaysia – Exchange of notes constituting an agreement relating to pensions and compensation for officers designated by the Government of the United Kingdom in the service of the State Government of Sabah and Sarawak. |location=Kuala Lumpur |publisher=United Nations |date=14 December 1972 |access-date=19 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519032522/https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20886/volume-886-I-12699-English.pdf |archive-date=19 May 2016 }}</ref>

{{Sabah Labelled Map}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left; width: 650px;"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
!  !! [[Divisions of Malaysia|Division]] || style="text-align:center;"| [[Districts of Malaysia|Districts]]
!Subdistricts!! Area (km<sup>2</sup>) !! Population (2010)<ref name="total population">{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/population/05Jadual_Mukim_negeri/Mukim_Sabah.pdf|title=Total population by ethnic group, administrative district and state, Malaysia|publisher=Department of Statistics, Malaysia|year=2010|access-date=25 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227090345/http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/download_Population/files/population/05Jadual_Mukim_negeri/Mukim_Sabah.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2012 }}</ref>
|-
! rowspan="8" | 1
| rowspan="8" style="text-align:center;" | [[West Coast Division]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Kota Kinabalu District|Kota Kinabalu]]|| rowspan="8" style="text-align:right;" | 7,588 || rowspan="8" style="text-align:right;" | 1,067,589
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Penampang District|Penampang]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Putatan District|Putatan]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Papar District|Papar]]
|-
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Tuaran District|Tuaran]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Tamparuli
|-
|style="text-align:center;"| Kiulu
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Kota Belud District|Kota Belud]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Ranau District|Ranau]]
|-
! rowspan="8" | 2
| rowspan="8" style="text-align:center;" | [[Interior Division]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Beaufort District|Beaufort]]|| rowspan="8" style="text-align:right;" | 18,298 || rowspan="8" style="text-align:right;" | 424,534
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Kuala Penyu District|Kuala Penyu]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Menumbok
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Sipitang District|Sipitang]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Long Pasia]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Tambunan District|Tambunan]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Keningau District|Keningau]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Sook
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Tenom District|Tenom]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Kemabong
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Nabawan District|Nabawan]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Pagalungan
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|[[Membakut District|Membakut]]
|-
! rowspan="4" | 3
| rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;" | [[Kudat Division]] || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Kudat District|Kudat]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Banggi|| rowspan="4" style="text-align:right;" | 4,623 || rowspan="4" style="text-align:right;" | 192,457
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| Matunggong
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Pitas District|Pitas]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Kota Marudu District|Kota Marudu]]
|-
! rowspan="5" | 4
| rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;" | [[Sandakan Division]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Sandakan District|Sandakan]] || rowspan="5" style="text-align:right;" |  28,205 || rowspan="5" style="text-align:right;" | 702,207
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Beluran District|Beluran]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Paitan
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Telupid District|Telupid]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Tongod District, Malaysia|Tongod]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Kinabatangan District|Kinabatangan]]
|-
! rowspan="5" | 5
| rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;" | [[Tawau Division]] || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Tawau District|Tawau]] || rowspan="5" style="text-align:right;" | 14,905 || rowspan="5" style="text-align:right;" | 819,955
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Kalabakan District|Kalabakan]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Semporna District|Semporna]]
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |[[Kunak District|Kunak]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Lahad Datu District|Lahad Datu]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Tungku
|}