Political impasse in Malaysia’s Sabah tests PM Anwar’s leadership, unity government

Lawmakers last week attempted to oust Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, who insists he still holds majority support in the state assembly

Anwar must tread carefully and not be seen to take sides during negotiations lest he feeds dissent among the parties involved, an analyst notes

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Observers caution he needs to tread carefully while mediating the political impasse in Sabah. Photo. AFP

Joseph Sipalanin Kuala LumpurandHadi Azmi

Published: 12:00pm, 10 Jan 2023

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is holding mediation talks between three parties in the state of Sabah, where a leadership crisis has been brewing between members of his nascent administration.

Immediately after wrapping up his first overseas bilateral meeting in Indonesia on Monday night, Anwar flew to eastern Malaysia, where lawmakers last week attempted to oust Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor.

Opponents and erstwhile allies said Hajiji should go as he no longer held majority support in the 79-seat state assembly following the decision by Umno leaders in Sabah to withdraw their backing.

Anwar met leaders from Hajiji’s ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) party, the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, and Parti Warisan Sabah, which in 2020 lost power in a state election that was triggered by a similar leadership impasse.

Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, whom state lawmakers tried to oust last week. Photo: Facebook

The eventual outcome of the negotiations may not necessarily have major implications for Anwar’s federal administration – made up of various parties and coalitions that until recently were political enemies – according to Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA).