Sabah State Legislative Assembly Dewan Undangan Negeri Sabah | |
|---|---|
| 17th Assembly | |
 Insignia of Sabah State Legislative Assembly: azure, a mace in pale proper between the numbers 19 in dexter and 63 in sinister and in base the letters SABAH sable. | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1963asMajlis Undangan 25 September 1976asDewan Undangan Negeri |
| Leadership | |
Yang di-Pertua Negeri | Musa Aman since 1 January 2025 |
Speaker | |
Deputy Speaker I | Al Hambra Juhar, Independent since 19 June 2023 |
Deputy Speaker II | Richard Yong We Kong, SAPP since 19 June 2023 |
Opposition Leader | |
Secretary | Rafidah binti Maqbool Rahman |
Deputy Secretary | Mohd Jayreh bin Jaya |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 73 elected and up to 6 nominated |
 | |
Political groups | As of 24 January 2026[update] Government (54) Opposition (25)
Speaker (1) |
| Committees |
|
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 29 November 2025 |
Next election | 9 February 2031 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Sabah State Legislative Assembly Building,Likas,Kota Kinabalu | |
| Website | |
| dun | |
TheSabah State Legislative Assembly (Malay:Dewan Undangan Negeri Sabah) is a part of the legislature ofSabah,Malaysia, the other being thegovernor of Sabah. The assembly meets at the Sabah Legislative Assembly Building atLikas in the state capital ofKota Kinabalu.
This unicameral legislature currently has 73 seats representingstate constituencies elected through afirst-past-the-post electoral system across the state.
Like at the federal level inMalaysia, Sabah uses aWestminster-styleparliamentary government, in which members are elected to the legislative assembly through general elections, from which the chief minister and the cabinet are appointed based on majority support. The chief minister is head of government, while the governor acts as head of state. The largest party not forming the government is known as the official opposition, its leader being recognised as leader of the opposition by the speaker.
Members of the assembly refer to themselves as "Members of the Legislative Assembly" (MLAs) and sometimes as "state assemblymen".
The most recent assembly was elected on 29 November 2025. 73 members were elected into the 17th Sabah Legislative Assembly.
In accordance with the traditions of theWestminster system, most laws originate with the cabinet (government bills) and are passed by the legislature after stages of debate and decision-making. Ordinary members may introduce privately (private members' bills), play an integral role in scrutinising bills in debate and committee and amending bills presented to the legislature by cabinet.
Chair occupants of the assembly are appointed by the governor on the chief minister's advice. Kadzim M. Yahya (BN-UMNO) has been the speaker since 8 October 2020.[2] He is assisted by two Deputy Speakers, Al Hambra Juhar (Independent) and Richard Yong We Kong (SAPP) who were both appointed on 19 June 2023.
TheChief Minister of Sabah is appointed by theGovernor of Sabah as the MLA likely to command the confidence of the majority in the assembly. He leads theCabinet of Sabah, which is the executive branch of the state government. Following the 2025 Sabah State Elections, YAB Datuk Seri PanglimaHajiji Noor (GAGASAN-GRS), MLA for Sulaman, was appointed for a second term as Chief Minister.
The Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest party represented in the State Assembly not forming the government. Following the 2025 Sabah State Elections, YB Datuk Seri PanglimaMohd. Shafie Apdal (WARISAN), MLA for Senallang, is likely to be appointed as the leader of the Opposition in the new legislative term.
The Governor, on the advice of the Chief Minister, appoints one person from the membership of the Assembly or, in deviation from traditional Westminster practices, from non-members who are qualified to be elected as members of the Assembly, as the presiding officer of the Assembly, known as theSpeaker, and another person from the membership of the Assembly to be Deputy Speaker. The lengths of their service are specified by theletters patent that appointed them; however, their term may end premature if they no longer qualify for the membership of the Assembly, they resign, or the Governor terminates their speakership on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Speaker is also disqualified from the chair if theyhave any personal interest in another organisation; the Deputy Speaker does not need to vacate their office if they have such interests, but is barred from presiding over any matter that affects their interests.
The Speaker or Deputy Speaker presides from a chair at the front of the chamber (opposite the entrance). A member who believes that a rule (or Standing Order) has been breached may raise apoint of order, on which the Speaker makes a ruling that is not subject to any appeal. The Speaker may discipline members who fail to observe the rules of the Assembly. The Speaker or Deputy Speaker remain members of their respective parties while holding the speakership, but they are required by convention to act impartially while presiding over the Assembly. A Speaker or Deputy Speaker who is also an elected member of the Assembly retain voting rights, but by convention does not vote in proceedings they preside over except to break a tie, only doing so according toSpeaker Denison's rule.
The following are the Speakers of the Sabah Legislative Assembly since 1963:[3]
| No. | Speaker | Term start | Term end | Party | Constituency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir George N. Oehlers | 23 September 1963 | 22 September 1964 | IND | Non-MLA |
| 2 | Haji Mohd. Kassim Haji Hashim | 23 September 1964 | 24 September 1975 | ||
| 3 | Abdul Momin Haji Kalakhan | 24 September 1975 | 10 May 1978 | ||
| 4 | Haji Mohd. Sunoh Marso | 11 May 1978 | 29 March 1986 | BERJAYA | Lahad Datu |
| BN (BERJAYA) | |||||
| 5 | Pandikar Amin Haji Mulia | 31 March 1986 | 30 November 1987 | BN (USNO) | Non-MLA |
| 6 | Haji Hassan Alban Sandukong | 8 December 1987 | 4 December 2002 | Non-MLA | |
| 7 | Juhar bin Haji Mahiruddin | 5 December 2002 | 31 December 2010 | BN (UMNO) | Non-MLA |
| 8 | Salleh Said Keruak | 31 December 2010 | 28 July 2015 | BN (UMNO) | Non-MLA |
| Usukan | |||||
| 9 | Syed Abas Syed Ali | 7 August 2015 | 6 October 2020 | BN (UMNO) | Balung |
| IND | Non-MLA | ||||
| 10 | Kadzim M Yahya | 8 October 2020 | Incumbent | BN (UMNO) | Non-MLA |
The Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Legislative Assembly arecivil servants that serve as the chief advisers of procedural matters, as well as head the day-to-day administration of the Assembly. They serve a similar role to theClerk of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom, advising the Speaker on the rules and procedure of the Assembly, signing orders and official communications, and signing and endorsing bills. They are permanent officials and not members of the Assembly. The Governor has the sole power to appoint or remove them.[citation needed]
TheSerjeant-at-Arms maintains the law, order and security of the Assembly, within the chamber and on the premises of the Assembly building. The Serjeant-at-Arms also carries the ceremonial mace, a symbol of the authority of the Governor and of the Legislative Assembly, into the chamber each day in front of the Speaker, and the mace is laid upon the Table of the Assembly during sittings.
The Legislative Assembly uses committees for a variety of purposes, e.g. for the review of bills. Committees consider bills in detail, and may make amendments. Bills of great constitutional importance, as well as some important financial measures, are usually committed to theCommittee of the Whole House, a body that includes all members of the Assembly. This committee sits in the main chamber itself.
Committees can also be created for any purpose – these are known as Select Committees. However, the Select Committees of the Assembly primarily handle administrative matters of the chamber. For example, the Selection and Standing Orders Committee meet to select members of other committees as well as consider changes to the Standing Orders; the Public Petitions Committee handles petitions of any matter from the public; and the Privileges Committee considers questions ofparliamentary privilege, as well as matters relating to the conduct of the members.[4] Committees need to be re-established at the beginning of each term.[5]
 |
| Assembly | Term began | Members | Cabinet | Governing parties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 1963 | 25 | Fuad Stephens I(1963–1964) | Sabah Alliance(UNKO–USNO–SCA–UPMO)(1963–1964) | |
| Peter Lo Su Yin(1965–1967) | Sabah Alliance(SCA–USNO) | ||||
| 3rd | 1967 | 32 | Mustapha I | Sabah Alliance(USNO–SCA) | |
| 4th | 1971 | 32 | Mustapha II(1971–1975) | Sabah Alliance(USNO–SCA)(1971–1974) | |
| BN(USNO–SCA)(1974–1975) | |||||
| Mohammad Said(1975–1976) | Sabah Alliance(USNO–SCA) | ||||
| 5th | 1976 | 48 | Fuad Stephens II(1976) | BERJAYA | |
| Haris I(1976–1981) | BN(BERJAYA) | ||||
| 6th | 1981 | 48 | Haris II | BN(BERJAYA) | |
| 7th | 1985 | 48 | Pairin I | PBS–PASOK | |
| 8th | 1986 | 48 | Pairin II | BN(PBS) | |
| 9th | 1990 | 48 | Pairin III | BN(PBS)(1990) | |
| GR(PBS)(1990–1993) PBS–USNO(1993–1994) | |||||
| 10th | 1994 | 48 | Pairin IV(1994) | PBS | |
| Sakaran(1994) Md Salleh(1994–1996) Yong Teck Lee(1996–1998) Bernard Dompok(1998–1999) | |||||
| 11th | 1999 | 48 | Osu(1999–2001) Chong Kah Kiat(2001–2003) Musa I(2003–2004) | BN(UMNO–SAPP–UPKO–LDP)(1999–2003) | |
| 12th | 2004 | 60 | Musa II | BN(UMNO–PBS–UPKO–SAPP–LDP–PBRS–MCA) | |
| 13th | 2008 | 60 | Musa III | BN(UMNO–PBS–UPKO–SAPP–LDP–PBRS–MCA)(2008) | |
| 14th | 2013 | 60 | Musa IV | BN(UMNO–PBS–UPKO–LDP–GERAKAN–PBRS)(2013–2015) | |
| 15th | 2018 | 60 | Musa V(2018) | BN(UMNO–PBS–UPKO–PBRS)–STAR | |
| Shafie(2018-2020) | |||||
| 16th | 2020 | 73 | Hajiji I | ||
| 17th | 2025 | 73 | Hajiji II | GRS(GAGASAN–PBS–LDP)–BN(UMNO–PBRS)–UPKO–PH(PKR)–STAR–KDM–PN(PAS) | |
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Capital:Kota Kinabalu | |||||||||||
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