LIVE: Battle for Sabah - GRS 38, Warisan Plus 32, Independent 3

Malaysiakini's live reports on the results for the 73 seats in Sabah 2020 election. Click here to go Malaysiakini's election night micro-site.

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3.00am: This wraps up Malaysiakini's LIVE blog for the Sabah 2020 elections results coverage. 

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Malaysiakini's team in Sabah are Kow Gah Chie (captain), Alyaa Alhadjri, Ng Xiang Yi, M Fakrull Halim, Geraldine Tong, Mandy Leong and Azneal Ishak. Dozens more worked throughout the night at Malaysiakini's headquarters to provide you with the results and analysis of the elections.

Thank you once again.

Still no CM yet

2.15am: Top Sabah Perikatan Nasional leaders - Bersatu, Star and SAPP - have been meeting for several hours at the Magellan Hotel. 

Although PBS and Sabah Umno leaders were not spotted at the hotel, it is understood that intense negotiations over the chief ministership has taken place and remains unresolved.

When Sabah PN head Hajiji Noor emerged from the meeting at around 2am, he repeatedly sidestepped questions on whether a consensus was arrived among Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) parties on a chief minister. 

"Tomorrow we will make an announcement. Let it be a mystery (for now)," he said.

After GRS' victory, Muhyiddin vows to deliver on pledges

12.15am: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in a live address, congratulates Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) on its victory in the state election.

"I hope they will carry out their duties to the best of their abilities. This is the time for them to do their duty with integrity and dedication in fulfilling their promise," he says.

Muhyiddin also thanks supporters and volunteers.

The Bersatu president also vows to deliver on the pledges made during campaigning in Sabah.

"As the prime minister, whatever I have said during the Sabah campaign, God-willing, I will fulfil them soonest," he adds.

OFFICIAL: GRS wins Sabah polls, bags 38 seats

11.55pm: It is official! Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has won 38 of the 73 seats in the Sabah polls, according to the Election Commission's count.

The EC's count also said that Warisan Plus has 32 seats and there are three independent winners.

Surprise turn of events for GRS in Pintasan

11.50pm: Perikatan Nasional (PN), which conceded the Pintasan state seat to Usno, receives a pleasant surprise.

This is after the Election Commission declared that PN, which is part of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) alliance, was the actual winner.

PN-Bersatu's Fairuz Renddan narrowly won the seat against Usno's Pandikar Amin Mulia with an 84-vote majority.

Fairuz, who is the Bersatu Youth assistant treasurer, secured 2,744 votes, Pandikar 2,660 votes and Warisan candidate Mohd Safian Saludin1,816 votes.

PM to address nation on Sabah polls

11.58pm: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will be making a televised address on the Sabah election soon. The contest witnessed the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (BN, PN and PBS) alliance wresting the state from Warisan and its allies.

Voters show no love for Parti Cinta president Anifah

11.13pm: Parti Cinta Sabah's president Anifah Aman was unsuccessful in his bid to win the Bongawan seat.

According to the official tally, the seat was retained by Warisan's Daud Yusof, who polled 5,400 votes, followed by Anifah's 3,598 and GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) AG Syairin 3,548.

In last place was Liberal Democratic Party's Mohd Azree Abd Ghani, who polled 232 votes. Azree will not be retaining his deposit.

The turnout rate for Bongawan was 77.84 percent.

Unofficial: Darrell Leiking, Junz Wong take Warisan Plus' tally to 29

11.10pm: UNOFFICIAL - Warisan deputy president Darrell Leiking wins the state seat of Moyog.

Warisan Youth chief Junz Wong also retains the state seat of Tanjung Aru.

The double win puts the unofficial tally for the Warisan Plus alliance at 29 seats for now.

Zahid leaves it to BN reps to choose new CM

11pm: BN and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says he will leave it to the new crop of Sabah BN assemblypersons to choose the new chief minister.

In an interview published on his Facebook page, Zahid says Sabah BN is autonomous in this regard.

He hopes that there will be proper negotiations with other Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) allied parties.

However, he believes that, by convention, the party with the most seats should be chosen to lead the state.

"Let Sabahans choose their own chief minister, without any orders from people in Kuala Lumpur or Putrajaya," he says.

Previously, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin proposed the party's Sabah chief Hajiji Mohd Noor as chief minister should GRS win the polls.

Warisan bags Kukusan with 10-vote majority

10.55pm: According to the official count, the Kukusan seat was won with a 10-vote majority.

Warisan's Rina Jainal polled 2,834 votes, followed closely by BN-Umno Chaya Sulaiman with 2,824 votes.

Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah's Wong Jin Soon came in third, winning 796 votes, or 11.94 percent of the votes cast.

Wong came just four votes shy of retaining his deposit.

There were seven candidates for Kukusan - a new seat. The voter turnout for Kukusan, located near Tawau, was a dismal 53.97 percent.

Mohammadin wins big despite shooting himself in foot

10.50pm: Warisan's Mohamaddin Ketapi wins big in Segama despite shooting himself in the foot during the campaign period.

According to the official results, he won with a majority of 2,168 votes.

Previously, Mohamaddin had offended army voters for allegedly saying the Lahad Datu incursion was a "sandiwara".

Official: Warisan Plus 25, GRS 24, independents 2

10.45pm: OFFICIAL - The Election Commission has announced the results of 51 out of 73 seats.

According to the official tally, the Warisan Plus alliance has 25 seats while Gabungan Sabah Rakyat (BN-PN-PBS) has 24 seats.

There are also two independent winners.

Official: Upko nets first seat

10.34pm: Upko, which performed poorly in this election, has picked up its first seat of the 12 contested.

The party's candidate Ewon Benedick retains his state seat of Kadamaian, according to the Election Commission.

He won with 6,823 votes to PBS' 3364 votes and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) 2,050 votes.

PCS received 799 votes, LDP got 223 votes while independent candidate Raiting @Mohd Farhan garnered 101 votes.

Official – Warisan and GRS have 22 seats each

10.32pm: OFFICIAL - The Election Commission (EC) has declared the results of 46 out of 73 seats.

At present, the official tally is 22 for Warisan Plus, 22 for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and two for independent candidates.

Warisan supporters cheer when told there is still hope

10.10pm: Rumah Yayasan Sabah - The mood lightens at Mohd Shafie Apdal's residence after Warisan’s Darau candidate Azhar Matussin insists there is still hope of winning the election.

“I do not trust what (GRS) has said. It is all a show (wayang),” he says to supporters.

He urges everyone to wait for the official results from the Election Commission (EC).

The supporters cheer upon hearing his explanation.

Warisan, not Umno, won in Sekong

9.55pm: The official results from the Election Commission has ruled that Warisan's Cikgu Alias Sani as the winner for the Sekong seat.

Earlier, Malaysiakini had erroneously declared BN-Umno's Hazulizah Mohd Dani as the winner.

At present, the unofficial tally would suggest that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah has won 36 seats.

Sombre mood at Shafie's residence

9.40pm: Rumah Yayasan Sabah - The mood is sombre at Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal's residence in Likas.

Shafie was supposed to hold a press conference for the media waiting outside his house at 9pm but he has yet to appear.

There are some 50 supporters gathered outside.

Bung declares victory, thanks voters who want change

9.25pm: Kota Kinabalu - Sabah BN chief Bung Moktar Radin declares victory and claims that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has obtained a simple majority to form the state government.

"We thank the people of Sabah who yearned for change," he says at the Sabah Umno headquarters in Kota Kinabalu.

Bung's victory declaration was held separately from the one made by Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainuddin, who is with Perikatan Nasional leaders at the Magellan Hotel.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has yet to declare the winner of this election.

Malaysiakini is providing stories on the Sabah polls for free. Continue to support Malaysiakini and independent journalism by subscribing for as little as RM20 per month.

Almost a clean sheet for defectors

9.15pm: Warisan Plus' attempt to demonise "frogs" - elected lawmakers who defected - had little effect on Bersatu.

The party fielded eight lawmakers who defected from Umno. All but one - Abd Muis Picho (Sebatik) - won.

The seven defectors who won are Hajiji Mohd Noor (Sulaman), Ghulam Haidan Khan Bahadar (Kawang), Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif (Membakut), Isnin Aliasnih (Klias), Limus Jury (Kuala Penyu), Masidi Manjun (Karanaan) and Nizam Abu Bakar (Apas).

Warisan Plus disputes GRS win projection - report

9.05pm: Warisan Plus is disputing the projection that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has won the state election, according to the Star.

The report, which quotes a spokesperson, states that Warisan Plus is arguing that counting has not been completed in certain seats which GRS claims to have won such as Darau, Tulid and Karambunai among others.

“The ballot boxes are just arriving,” says the spokesperson.

Earlier, Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainuddin declared victory for GRS. Based on unofficial results, GRS has won 37 of the 73 seats whereas Warisan clinched 23.

Bersatu sec-gen declares victory for GRS, cheers erupt at command centre

8.55pm: Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainuddin declares that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has won the Sabah election after the alliance crosses the 37-seat mark.

GRS leaders and supporters, who gathered at the command centre in Kota Kinabalu, are all smiles as the news filters in.

Chants of “GRS” and “Ubah Balik” ring out.

Apart from Hamzah, Bersatu supreme council member Azmin Ali and Star president Yong Teck Lee are also present.

BN, meanwhile, has a separate command centre at the state party headquarters.

Unexpected: 3 independents,1 Usno candidate victorious

8.45pm: The Sabah polls has been full of surprises but nothing prepared political observers for the fact that four outliers won.

The most famous of them is Pandikar Amin Mulia, who won the Pintasan seat for United Sabah National Organisation (Usno).

Masiung Banah won the Kuamut seat for the fifth time, but this time as an independent candidate.

Former Kudat PKR division deputy chief Rudy Awah won the Pitas seat as an independent. He left the party in July.

GRS races towards finish line, Warisan Plus on brink of defeat

8.35pm: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah is coming close to unseating Warisan Plus as the state government.

According to Malaysiakini's tally, GRS has won 28 seats and is expected to pick up more.

GRS' victory will likely be attributed to Umno for wresting back several seats from Warisan and Star, which has won at least four seats, up two from 2018.

Umno takes three seats from Warisan

8.30pm: Warisan takes Sebatik from BN-Umno but BN-Umno captures Sekong, Pantai Manis and Karambunai from Warisan.

Sebatik has long been an Umno stronghold. However, the incumbent Abd Muis Picho briefly defected to Warisan before rejoining his party just before the election.

BN chief Bung, Bersatu chief Hajiji win respective seats

8.25pm: Sabah BN chief Bung Moktar Radin wins the Lamag seat whereas state Bersatu head Hajiji Mohd Noor clinches the Sulaman seat.

Previously, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin proposed Hajiji as the chief minister candidate if Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and its allies win the state polls.

Independent wins in Kuamut

8.20pm: Masiung Banah has retained the Kuamut seat as an independent candidate.

Masiung has been representing Kuamut since 2004. He was with Upko up until the 2018 election. He joined Warisan before defecting in July this year and expressing support for former chief minister Musa Aman.

The Kuamut election was a five-way tussle involving candidates from Masiung's former party Upko and BN-Umno.

Situation appears bleak for Upko

8.10pm: Things are not looking good for Upko.

Party president Wilfred Madius Tangau was defeated in Kiulu after failing to unseat the PBS incumbent Joniston Bangkuai.

Upko was unable to retain Paginatan and Nabawan which were won in 2018, but the winning candidates defected.

Meanwhile, unofficial results also suggest that Upko's campaign for Labuk was unsuccessful as well.

Upko fielded 12 candidates in total.

Mukhriz arrives at Shafie's residence

8.18pm: Rumah Yayasan Sabah - Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir arrives at incumbent chief minister Mohd Shafie Apdal’s residence in Likas.

He does not speak to the media and heads straight into the house.

A number of media personnel have been waiting outside the house since 6pm but all is quiet for now.

Shafie is expected to meet the press around 9pm.

Malaysiakini is providing stories on the Sabah polls for free. Continue to support Malaysiakini and independent journalism by subscribing for as little as RM20 per month.

PKR concedes defeat in Sook, Youth chief apologises

8.15pm: PKR Youth chief Akmal Nasir concedes that the party's candidate Raymond Ahuar was defeated in the Sook seat.

“We are sorry, we tried our best,” he tweets.

According to Akmal, BN's Bonepes Been won the five-way tussle with a majority of 4,485 votes.

PBS sec-gen retains Tamparuli seat

8.00pm: PBS secretary-general Jahid Jahim retains the Tamparuli seats after defeating three other candidates, according to the unofficial count.

This is the fifth time Jahid has won the seat.

So far, PBS has picked up two seats, including the adjacent Kiulu constituency.

Kiulu - Upko president fails to unseat PBS incumbent

7.50pm: PBS' Joniston Bangkuai retains the Kiulu seat, defeating five other candidates, including Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau, according to the unofficial count.

This marks Joniston's third win in Kiulu and Madius' second ever electoral defeat since 1999.

So far, PBS has picked up one seat.

'Clean sweep in Semporna' - Shafie, Warisan reps retain seats

7.45pm: Unofficial - Warisan has retained all three state legislative assembly seats located in the Semporana parliamentary constituency.

According to sources, Warisan has retained the Sulabayan, Senallang and Bugaya seats and only lost in three out of 32 saluran (voting streams / ballot boxes).

The Warisan candidates for Senallang and Sulabayan are Mohd Shafie Apdal and Jaujan Sambakong respectively.

During the previous Warisan administration, the duo were the chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively.

Shafie orders Warisan Plus candidates to gather at 'secret' location

7.40pm: Kota Kinabalu - A Warisan Plus candidate reveals that incumbent chief minister Mohd Shafie Apdal has instructed the alliance's candidates to gather at a particular location by 8pm.

"We may not be able to go home tonight. I have packed my stuff for the night," says the candidate on condition of anonymity.

Declining to reveal the location, he states: "We will have to wait until the situation becomes stable."

"It is still a 50:50 contest, especially in the Kadazan Dusun Murut seats," he adds.

DAP supporters throng eatery for livestream, Phoong confirms retaining Luyang

7.25pm: Some 150 supporters gathered at an eatery in Luyang to watch the livestream of the results for the seven seats in which DAP is contesting.

The party is currently leading in six of the seats, except for Bingkor.

After securing a massive lead of more than 11,000 votes, DAP candidate Phoong Jin Zhe, who contested under the Warisan banner, declared that he has retained Luyong, which he won in the 2018 polls.

According to him, the voter turnout rate for Luyang was below 70 percent. The seat has a total of 24,775 voters.

Warisan's Leiking leads in Moyog, Star a close second

7.20pm: Warisan deputy president Darrel Ignatius Leiking is leading the Moyog race and is trailed by Star's Joe Suleiman and PBS' John Chryso Masabal.

However, this information is still premature as Malaysiakini has only numerated data amounting to 2.89 percent of the total eligible voters for Moyog (19,465).

There are seven candidates vying for the west Sabah seat.

Malaysiakini is providing stories on the Sabah polls for free. Continue to support Malaysiakini and independent journalism by subscribing for as little as RM20 per month.

Warisan Plus retains Elopura and Sri Tanjong, DAP pair improve on GE14 results

7.15pm - UNOFFICIAL: Malaysiakini is calling Warisan Plus as the winner for Elopura and Sri Tanjong.

Based on the unofficial count so far, DAP candidate Calvin Chong has retained the Elopura seat while Justin Wong, who is also from DAP, retained the Sri Tanjong seat as both have established unassailable leads.

Chong and Wong will likely finish better than in 2018 in terms of vote share, although their total number of votes is expected to drop due to a lower turnout.

BN retains Tg Batu, says Asyraf

7.00pm: BN Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi declares that his wing's exco member Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy has retained the Tanjong Batu seat for BN.

 Malaysiakini cannot independently verify Asyraf's claim.

Tanjong Batu was won by BN's Hamisa Samat in 2018 after securing 50.8 percent of the votes cast.

Warisan Plus to win Luyang, DAP rep's lead unassailable

6.50pm - UNOFFICIAL: Malaysiakini projects that the Warisan Plus alliance will clinch its first win in the state seat of Luyang.

DAP incumbent Phoong Jin Zhe, who is contesting under the Warisan banner, has established an unassailable lead.

So far, Phoong has garnered more than 8,960 votes or 91 percent of the total votes counted. More than half of the valid votes have been counted.

SAPP, which is contesting under Perikatan Nasional, is in second place with 562 votes.

Bung is ahead, but Warisan man nips on his heels

6.40pm: Sabah BN chief Bung Moktar Radin is leading in Lamag, which is turning out to be a two-horse race between him and Warisan's Mohd Ismail Ayub.

Bung has secured 55.47 percent of the votes tallied (5 percent of votes have been tallied out of 8,157 total eligible voters).

Ismail, on the other hand, bagged 40.15 percent of the votes counted so far.

The total number of voters for Lamag is relatively small, approximately a third of the average number of voters for each of the 73 constituencies.

DAP pulls ahead, except in Bingkor

6.30pm: As the vote counting continues, DAP has established a commanding lead in Likas, Luyang, Kapayan, Elopura, Tanjong Papat and Sri Tanjong.

However, DAP is not doing well in Bingkor, where the party's candidate Peter Saili is challenging the incumbent Robert Tawik @ Nordin from Star.

Tawik currently is in the lead, securing 64 percent of the votes that has been tallied so far (5.22 percent out of 17,828 eligible voters).

Bingkor was once a PBS stronghold which was wrested by Star in 2013. PBS' Peter Jjino Allion is faring poorly based on the unofficial count so far.

Bung: Let's wait and see

6.25pm: Umno HQ, Kota Kinabalu - Sabah BN chairperson Bung Moktar Radin arrives at the state Umno headquarters, where BN leaders are slated to gather.

“Let’s wait and see,” says the Umno Lamag candidate when quizzed on the election results.

Other Umno leaders like Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Shamsul Anuar Nasarah are also present.

DAP takes commanding lead in fortress Elopura

6.05pm: DAP takes a commanding lead in its stronghold of Elopura, located in Sandakan.

Incumbent Calvin Chong secured 80.83 percent of the votes, based on votes tallied so far (9.77 percent of the total eligible voters).

The closest rival is MCA's Chan Boon Thian, who has secured 15 percent of the votes cast.

There are six candidates vying for Elopura. Four appear likely to lose their deposits.

Tight race between incumbent Star and PKR for Sook

5.45pm: The contest for Sook is tight. According to the unofficial count, PKR's Raymond Ahuar has secured 234 votes, followed closely by Star's Ellron Angin (228 votes).

Sook is a long-time safe seat for BN-PBRS. If either a Star or PKR candidate wins, this will be considered a huge upset.

Ellron is the incumbent. He defected from BN-PBRS to join Star in late-2018.

Early count appears dismal for DAP

5.40pm: DAP, which is using the Warisan logo for the first time in an election, is not performing well according to the early count.

The party is trailing in Luyang, Kapayan, Elopura, Tanjong Papat and Sri Tanjong.

During the 2018 general election, DAP had won the above five seats with huge margins.

However, it is still early in the counting process.

DAP incumbent trails MCA, PBS rivals in Kapayan

5.30pm: MCA's Lu Yen Ting is leading the Kapayan race, having secured 52.91 percent of the votes that have been tallied so far (2.06 percent of total eligible voters).

The incumbent, DAP's Jannie Lasimbang is trailing having secured 18.61 percent of the vote, trailing behind PBS' Edwin Bosi.

Historically, MCA has never won a seat in Sabah before. Will they finally establish a foothold in Sabah?

Malaysiakini is providing stories on the Sabah polls for free. Continue to support Malaysiakini and independent journalism by subscribing for as little as RM20 per month.

PBS' Joniston surges ahead of Upko president

5.20pm: PBS information chief and incumbent Kiulu assemblyperson Joniston Bangkuai has a wide lead over United Progressive Kinabalu Party (Upko) president Wilfred Madius Tangau, according to the unofficial count.

Reports suggest that Joniston secured 73 percent of the votes counted so far at the SK Tanginambur and SK Poring voting centres.

Counting begins

5pm: Counting begins for the 73 seats to determine if incumbent Chief Minister Shafie Apdal's Warisan Plus coalition will retain the Sabah state government or if a new administration takes over.