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The Sabah State Legislative Assembly ( ms, Dewan Undangan Negeri Sabah,
Kadazandusun Kadazan-Dusun (also written as Kadazandusun or Mamasok Kadazan-Dusun) also less-known as "Mamasok Sabah" are two indigenous peoples of Sabah, Malaysia—the ethnic groups Kadazan and Dusun. The Kadazandusun is the largest native group of Bumip ...
: ''Langga' Tinukuan Pogun Sabah'') is a part of the legislature of
Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, the other being the governor of Sabah. The assembly meets at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly Building at
Likas Likas is a sub-district in the city of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Likas is known for where shopping complex, government and private hospital, universities and colleges such as Universiti Malaysia Sabah and government administration centre is locate ...
in the state capital of
Kota Kinabalu , image_skyline = , image_caption = From top, left to right, bottom:Kota Kinabalu skyline, Wawasan intersection, Tun Mustapha Tower, Kota Kinabalu Coastal Highway, the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, the Wism ...
. This unicameral legislature currently has 73 seats representing state constituencies elected through a
first-past-the-post In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...
electoral system across the state. Like at the federal level in
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, Sabah uses a Westminster-style
parliamentary government A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...
, 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 26 September 2020. 73 members were elected into the 16th Sabah State Legislative Assembly. As permitted by the State Constitution, the Governor may add six more as nominated MLAs.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (abbrev:GRS; en, Sabah People's Alliance), also officially known as the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah Party or for shorts GRS Party is an official registered political coalition and the current ruling coalition in Sabah. Hajiji ...
coalition consisting of
Perikatan Nasional The National Alliance ( ms, Perikatan Nasional; abbrev: PN) is a political coalition composed of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (GERAKAN). This coalition was pr ...
(PN),
Barisan Nasional The National Front ( ms, Barisan Nasional; abbrev: BN) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1973 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties. It is also the third largest political coalition with 30 se ...
(BN) and
United Sabah Party The United Sabah Party ( ms, Parti Bersatu Sabah, abbreviated PBS) is a political party of Sabah. The PBS was founded by Joseph Pairin Kitingan in 1985 and it is Sabah's oldest local party. In August 2020, PBS confirmed that they would be using ...
(PBS) formed the government on 29 September 2020.


Lawmaking

In accordance with the traditions of the Westminster 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 A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in w ...
), play an integral role in scrutinising bills in debate and committee and amending bills presented to the legislature by cabinet.


Officeholders


Chair occupants

Chair occupants of the assembly are appointed by the governor on the chief minister's advice. Kadzim M. Yahya ( BN-
UMNO The United Malays National Organisation (Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its in ...
) has been the speaker since 8 October 2020. He is assisted by two Deputy Speakers, Ahmad Abdul Rahman ( WARISAN) who was appointed on 7 June 2018 and George Anthony Ginibun ( WARISAN) who was appointed on 26 June 2018.


Majority leader

The majority leader is always the
chief minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
, who also leads the
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...
. He is appointed by the
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
on the basis that he is able to command a majority in the assembly.
Hajiji Noor Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji bin Noor ( ms, عزيزي بن نور, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 10 May 1956) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 16th Chief Minister of Sabah and State Minister of Finance since Se ...
(BERSATU), MLA for Sulaman, has been the chief minister since 29 Sep 2020.


Minority leader

The minority leader is always the leader of the opposition appointed by the largest party not forming the government. Following the defeat of Warisan Plus coalition in the recent state election, Mohd. Shafie Apdal (WARISAN), MLA for Senallang, becomes leader of the Opposition.


Officers


Speaker and Deputy Speaker

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 the
Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...
, and another person from the membership of the Assembly to be Deputy Speaker. The lengths of their service are specified by the
letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, titl ...
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 they have 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 a , 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 to
Speaker Denison's rule Speaker Denison's rule is a constitutional convention established by John Evelyn Denison, who was Speaker of the British House of Commons from 1857 to 1872, regarding how the Speaker decides on their casting vote in the event of a tie in the nu ...
. The following are the Speakers of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly since 1963:


Secretary and Deputy Secretary

The Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Legislative Assembly are
civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
s 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 the
Clerk of the House of Commons The Clerk of the House of Commons is the chief executive of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and before 1707 of the House of Commons of England. The formal name for the position held by the Clerk of the House of Comm ...
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.


Other officers

The 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.


Committees

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 the , 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 of
parliamentary privilege Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made in the course of their legislative duties. ...
, as well as matters relating to the conduct of the members. Committees need to be re-established at the beginning of each term.


List of Assemblies


See also

*
Cabinet of Sabah The Cabinet of Sabah is a part of the executive arm of the Government of Sabah, Malaysia. The Cabinet consists of the Chief Minister, appointed by the List of Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah, Governor on the basis that he is able to command a majo ...


Notes


References


External links


Sabah State Legislative Assembly official website
{{Sabah Politics of Sabah S Unicameral legislatures