The 2023 Sabah political crisis or widely reported on local media as Langkah Kinabalu or the Kinabalu Move, began on 6 January 2023, when the state government of Sabah led by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) collapsed when its coalition party Barisan Nasional (BN) withdrew its support. The Leader of UMNO Sabah, a component party of BN, Bung Moktar Radin, Kinabatangan Member of Parliament (MP) and Lamag Assemblyman, cited a lack of confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister of Sabah Hajiji Noor in the withdrawal. UMNO Sabah want to change support from supporting GRS coalition to supporting the WARISAN Plus coalition. On 9 January, both Malaysian leaders, prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi travelled to Kota Kinabalu to meet with Sabah political leaders. This crisis resulted in the approval of the Anti-Switching Parties Law in Sabah (approved in 25 May 2023).
As of 6 February, there have been no changes in the status quo regarding the government of Sabah, following the decision of 5 UMNO MLAs who publicly supported Hajiji despite Bung's decision, and a reshuffle of the state cabinet on 11 January as a result. As of 25 May 2023, Sabah State Legislative Assembly finally approved the Anti-Switching Parties Law (Anti-frogs habit).
Background
Collapse of BN Sabah
In 2018, after BN's loss at the 2018 Malaysian general election at the federal level to Pakatan Harapan (PH), Sabah-based BN component parties, United Sabah Party (PBS), United Sabah People's Party (PBRS), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and United Pasokomomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO; now PH-backed United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation) have left BN Sabah in response to their loss, leaving only UMNO Sabah and MCA Sabah as component party; Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) had already left the coalition in 2013. This caused Musa Aman lost his majority as Chief Minister in favour of WARISAN's Shafie Apdal.
Hajiji Noor, UMNO Sabah chairman and Sulaman Assemblyman, together with other members, including Ronald Kiandee, Azizah Mohd Dun and Masidi Manjun, have left the party in a mass resignation to joining Sabah chapter of BERSATU, stated that they are want to establish a new local-based independent coalition for all Sabah-based parties to replace BN. Bung Moktar Radin, sole survived UMNO Sabah member, said he wants to rebuild the party when elected as the new state chairman.
Formation of GRS and Hajiji's rise
In 2020, in facing of the upcoming state election, then Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin met Hajiji to talk about a possibility to make a new local political coalition. Hajiji officially become a founder of the new coalition and forming Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to topple WARISAN+ government. The decision was agreed, using the formula of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), which promotes the unity between the party leaders and the people of the state.
Prior to the election, GRS was formally launched to the public by Muhyiddin and Hajiji, initially organised by BN, PBS and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
In the event, GRS secured the simple majority to form the new government, defeating WARISAN which secure less majority than needed. Hajiji was officially elected as new Chief Minister and takes oath in front of Governor Juhar Mahiruddin in post-election, succeeding Shafie.
Registration of GRS
In 2022, the Registry of Societies (RoS) formally registered GRS as a coalition political party. At the time of its registration, the coalition, consists PBS, SAPP, Homeland Solidarity Party (STAR), the new United Sabah National Organisation (USNO Baru) and formerly BERSATU Sabah, were the latest parties to joining it, all of them were former United Borneo Alliance (UBA) and United Alliance of Sabah (GBS) components.
A second local based coalition party in Sabah, and second in East Malaysia after Sarawak-based GPS, none of the peninsula-based parties were involved in the newly registered GRS. Hajiji Noor later elected as the first registered chairman, assisted by Masidi Manjun, Yong Teck Lee, Pandikar Amin Mulia, Jeffrey Kitingan and Joachim Gunsalam.
Event
Mass resignation of BERSATU Sabah members and its expulsion from GRS
In 2023, in response to PN's defeat and also Muhyiddin's religion controversies in 15th general election, The BERSATU Sabah leader, Hajiji Noor announced that he and all members of BERSATU Sabah have resigned from the party, vowing to form a new political party to reclaim the autonomy of Sabah, that ultimately created Direct Members of GRS to allowing independent assemblymans to joining it.