Sarawak Assembly to Dissolve October 26 as GPS Seeks New Mandate

October 26 dissolution sets election process in motion

Sarawak's 82-seat Legislative Assembly will be dissolved on Monday, October 26, 2026, Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg announced, starting a constitutional countdown to the state's 13th election. Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), which won 76 seats in December 2021 and later increased its representation to 79 through party changes, will seek another mandate to govern.

Abang Johari announced the decision at a special press conference at Satria Pertiwi Complex in Petra Jaya, Kuching, on October 23. He said Sarawak Governor Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had consented to his request under Article 21(2) of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak.

Article 21(4) requires an election within 60 days of dissolution and the new Assembly to be summoned within 120 days. Those requirements set the outer timetable, while the Election Commission (EC) determines the actual nomination, early voting and polling dates.

For voters, the announcement means a new contest to choose their representatives and determine the next state government. For the administration, it means a shift into a caretaker role while public administration and essential services continue.

The Election Commission must set the dates

EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus said on October 23 that the commission was awaiting formal notification from the Sarawak Assembly Speaker before fixing a special meeting on the election. The meeting date, nomination day, early voting day and polling day had not yet been announced.

Khairul Shahril explained the next procedural step:

We will wait for official notification from the Sarawak State Assembly Speaker before setting the relevant dates, taking into account various factors to ensure the smooth conduct of the election,

The Speaker's notification moves the process from the state's dissolution decision to the commission's management of the election. The EC usually holds its special meeting within one or two weeks of receiving the dissolution notice, although no such schedule had been fixed for this election.

State minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has suggested December 12 and December 19 as suitable polling dates. State leaders had previously discussed an election between November and the middle of December. The commission will decide the timetable within the constitutional window.

How the timetable compares with 2021

Sarawak's previous election provides a practical comparison for the weeks ahead. In 2021, the Assembly was dissolved on November 3, nominations took place on December 6 and voters went to the polls on December 18.

That election was held 45 days after dissolution, with 12 days between nomination and polling. Those figures show how several stages can fit inside the 60-day limit, although the EC will set a fresh schedule for the coming contest.

• November 3, 2021: The Assembly was dissolved ahead of the previous state election.
• December 6, 2021: Candidates were nominated.
• December 18, 2021: Polling took place, and GPS won 76 of 82 seats.
• February 14, 2022: The current, 19th Assembly first convened.
• October 23, 2026: Abang Johari announced the governor's consent to dissolution.
• October 26, 2026: Dissolution takes effect, starting the 60-day election period.

The current Assembly's stated five-year term runs from its first sitting on February 14, 2022, pointing to expiry in February 2027 unless dissolved earlier. December has also been cited as the month of automatic dissolution. The October 26 decision brings the election process forward under either timetable.

What caretaker government means for residents

Abang Johari said the state government would continue carrying out its responsibilities during the election period, with constitutional requirements and conventions governing its caretaker role.

The premier described that arrangement at the press conference:

During this period, the government will discharge its responsibilities in a caretaker capacity, observing the applicable constitutional requirements and conventions,

A caretaker government keeps the administration functioning while voters choose the next Assembly. Residents will still need public services, and the state public service will continue its work during the campaign and voting period.

Dissolution ends the sitting Assembly's term. The caretaker arrangement provides continuity between that point and the formation of the next government, so the election does not require everyday administration to stop.

GPS enters the contest with a large majority

GPS won 76 of the Assembly's 82 seats in the December 2021 election, about 92.7 percent of the total. The opposition Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) won four seats, while the Democratic Action Party (DAP) won two.

Within GPS, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) secured 47 seats, the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) won 13, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) took 11 and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) won five. PBB's 47 seats alone exceeded the 42 needed for a majority in an Assembly of 82 members.

The distribution explains the coalition's strong position entering the election. GPS already controlled almost all constituencies after the previous vote, and subsequent changes in party membership increased its representation further.

Every seat will return to voters at the coming election. The result will determine the composition of the next Assembly and which political grouping has the support to form the state government.

Party changes reshaped the opposition

Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How left PSB to become an independent after the 2021 election. Abang Johari said See subsequently voiced support for him.

Three other assemblymen elected under PSB, Wong Soon Koh, Baru Bian and Johnichal Rayong Ngipa, later joined PDP. Those moves raised PDP's representation from five seats to eight and increased the GPS total from 76 to 79 at that stage.

PSB subsequently dissolved, with its leaders and members joining PDP en masse. The changes removed the party that had held four of the six seats outside GPS immediately after the 2021 election.

A GPS total of 79 out of 82 seats amounts to about 96.3 percent of the Assembly, compared with about 92.7 percent won in 2021. See's status as an independent and his stated support for Abang Johari remained separate from the coalition's 79 seats. The distinction helps explain both the party numbers and the premier's broader political support before dissolution.

Abang Johari seeks support for his development agenda

Abang Johari said the GPS administration had concentrated on Sarawak's development, strengthening the economy, improving infrastructure and public services, and safeguarding the state's rights and interests.

He linked those rights to the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963, commonly called MA63. The agreement formed part of the arrangements through which Sarawak joined the formation of Malaysia in 1963. In the premier's account, protecting Sarawak's position under those arrangements has been part of his administration's work.

The premier said a fresh mandate was appropriate as the term approached its end, allowing Sarawakians to choose a government to continue the development agenda. His explanation places the administration's record and its plans for continued development at the centre of the case for another term.

Voters will choose individual constituency representatives, and those results together will determine the next government. That connects local concerns about infrastructure and services with the larger decision over who directs state policy.

Abang Johari also thanked Sarawakians, Assembly members and the public service for their support and contributions. He urged political parties, candidates and supporters to respect the law and act responsibly throughout the election period.

Election preparations include a technology proposal

The EC said its preliminary preparations covered logistics, equipment supplies, training for election personnel and identifying suitable locations for polling centres. Those tasks concern the practical work of making polling places ready and ensuring staff can manage voting.

Khairul Shahril said the commission was prepared in the areas of logistics, training and personnel:

In terms of logistics, training and personnel, we are ready, God willing,

The commission is also considering a proposal to use Optical Character Recognition-Voters Attendance technology, known as OCR-VA. Optical character recognition is technology that allows a computer to read printed text and turn it into digital information. The proposal concerns voter attendance procedures.

Khairul Shahril said the proposal would be submitted to EC members for evaluation before a decision. The commission had not announced approval or details of how the technology would be used in Sarawak.

The immediate administrative priority is the formal dissolution notice, followed by the special EC meeting. Its announcement will give voters and candidates the dates they need to prepare, including when nominations close, when eligible early voters cast their ballots and when the main poll takes place.

Key Points

• Sarawak's 82-seat Assembly will be dissolved on October 26, 2026, with the governor's consent.
• The state constitution requires an election within 60 days and the new Assembly to be summoned within 120 days.
• The EC was awaiting formal notification from the Assembly Speaker on October 23 before setting its election meeting.
• December 12 and December 19 were suggested as polling dates by Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah; the EC will set the schedule.
• GPS won 76 seats in 2021 and later reached 79 after three former PSB assemblymen joined PDP.
• The government will operate in a caretaker capacity while public administration and essential services continue.
• The EC says election preparations are under way, while a proposal to use OCR-VA technology awaits evaluation.