1994 Sabah state election

The 1994 Sabah state election was held between Friday, 18 February and Saturday, 19 February 1994. Nomination day was 7 February 1994. The election was one of the most controversial election in Sabah's political history. The election was won by the incumbent ruling party (although the opposition at federal level) Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), winning 25 state electorates against 23 won by the federal government's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. However, due to defections by elected PBS assemblymen by way of establishments of new parties aligned to BN shortly after the election, PBS was forced out of power resulting in BN forming government in Sabah.[1] The outcome of this election and the defections resulted in the term katak being coined in, the literal meaning of which is "frog", due to the actions of PBS members "jumping" to another political party.[2]

After the election, PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan was sworn in as chief minister of Sabah. However, as a result of defections of PBS assemblymen to the BN, Pairin was forced to resign on 17 March 1994.[3] PBS was left with 5 seats. Bernard Dompok formed PDS with 18 seats joined BN (PDS later changed name to UPKO). Joseph Kurup left PBS and formed PBRS. Jeffery Kitingan also left PBS and joined AKAR.

Before the election, PBS had already produced 2 splinters, SAPP and AKAR, both which had contested under BN.

Results

Sabah state assembly election, 1994
Party	Votes	Seats won (seats contested)
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS)		25 (48)
Barisan Nasional (BN)		23 (48)
Total:		48

See also

• 2009 Perak constitutional crisis

Further reading

• James Chin. Sabah State Election of 1994: End of Kadazan Unity, Asian Survey, Vol. 34, No. 10, 1994, pp. 904-915

References

1. Kalimullah Hassan (18 November 2007). "OPINION: Reforms yes, but not through violence in the streets". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 21 December 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
2. Ung, Ho Chin (1999). Regime change and regime maintenance in Asia and Pacific - Discussion paper No 24 - "Kataks", Kadazan-Dusun nationalism and development: The 1999 Sabah state election (PDF). Australia: The Department of Political and Social Change - Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies The Australian National University. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018. The more prominent Kataks prior to the elections are listed below
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2013-05-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)