Sarawak to hold state election on Dec 12, Election Commission announces

Centre · 2Malaysia's Election Commission (EC) announced on Friday, Nov 6, that the Sarawak state election will be held on Dec 12, with nominations on Nov 28 and early voting on Dec 8. 1 2 Centre · 2EC chairman Ramlan Harun chaired the meeting that fixed the dates. According to the SCMP, the commission said the 14-day campaign will end on Dec 11 and that more than 2.05 million eligible voters will choose 82 members. 1 2 Centre · 2The state assembly was dissolved on Oct 26, about four months before its term was due to expire in February. CNA says this set up the 13th state election, to be held within 60 days. The SCMP says Premier Abang Johari Openg sought a renewed mandate to pursue his administration's development agenda. 1 2

Centre · 2In the 2021 election the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition won 76 of the 82 seats, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) won four and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) won two. PSB dissolved in 2024, and three of its former assemblymen joined the GPS component Progressive Democratic Party while the fourth became an independent. 1 2 Centre · 1GPS chairman Abang Johari has said GPS will contest all 82 seats. The DAP, part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan (PH), has said it will contest seven seats in the Kuching and Bau areas and may contest an eighth. 1 Centre · 1The SCMP says GPS is a major pillar of Anwar's federal government, contributing 23 MPs to his parliamentary support, while another partner, Barisan Nasional, presses him to call an early national election. 2

Centre · 2Both outlets place the vote in the context of Sarawak's push for greater autonomy. Sarawak has acquired an airline, taken over a port and acquired a bank, and its state energy firm Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros) seeks regulatory control over oil and gas, challenging Petronas's monopoly. The SCMP says Abang Johari has made Sarawak's entitlements under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) central to his campaign, quoting him as saying, "I will not back down when it comes to MA63." 1 2 Centre · 1The federal court has scheduled five days of hearings from Jan 25, 2027, on petitions by Petronas and the Sarawak government challenging state and federal petroleum laws, according to Bernama via the SCMP. Abang Johari told The Edge he expected an out-of-court settlement by year-end. In his October budget speech, Anwar said 12 MA63-related matters had been finalised, including the acquisitions of Bintulu Port and AirBorneo. 2 Centre · 1CNA places the Sarawak vote among recent state elections: Sabah on Nov 29, 2025, Johor on Jul 11 and Negeri Sembilan on Aug 1, with Melaka due on Nov 14. It says PH did poorly in Sabah, Johor and Negeri Sembilan, winning one of 22 seats it contested in Sabah, eight of 56 in Johor and 11 of 36 in Negeri Sembilan. 1

Centre · 1Sarawak-born political scientist James Chin told This Week in Asia that GPS prefers working with Anwar's government for now but its allegiance could shift depending on the next general election's outcome. 2