2021 Sarawak state election

The size of the Legislative Assembly was enlarged from 71 to 82 members in the last state election. The incumbent Sarawak Barisan Nasional coalition, led by Adenan Satem, won 72 seats, allowing it to form a majority government. This included 11 members who were not affiliated with any of its component parties.

The election was the first major election for the then newly-formed Pakatan Harapan coalition, the successor to the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. However, the component parties of the coalition, winning the remaining 10 seats, suffered a swing of 9.63 percentage points against it and an overall loss of 5 seats compared to the 2011 election.

Between June and August 2016, the 11 partyless Barisan Nasional members either joined the United Bumiputera Heritage Party, or left the coalition and joined the then United People's Party (now Parti Sarawak Bersatu).[2][3][4] The United People's Party however committed their support for the Barisan Nasional government.

On 11 January 2017, Adenan Satem, the Chief Minister, died from cardiac arrest.[5] He is the first sitting Chief Minister of Sarawak to have died while in office. Abang Johari Openg took over the position two days later. A by-election was held in Adenan's seat of Tanjong Datu on 18 February, which was overwhelmingly retained by the Barisan Nasional coalition.

The 2018 federal election resulted in an unprecedented victory for the opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition. In response, the four component parties of Barisan Nasional in Sarawak left the coalition and together formed the Gabungan Parti Sarawak coalition on 12 June 2018.[6][7][8]

A political crisis began at the federal level in February 2020, resulting in the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan federal government and the establishment of a Perikatan Nasional government. While Sarawak remained largely unaffected, the People's Justice Party lost all of its representation in the Legislative Assembly by April 2020, with all six remaining Pakatan Harapan seats being held by the Democratic Action Party. The Malaysian United Indigenous Party saw its introduction in the state with the membership of Ali Biju, the MLA for Krian.

On 26 July 2020, the member for Padungan, Wong King Wei, left the Democratic Action Party to sit as an independent member.[9] This resulted in Parti Sarawak Bersatu overtaking Pakatan Harapan as the second largest grouping in the Legislative Assembly. PSB chairman Wong Soon Koh took over as opposition leader on 9 November 2020 [10]

On 1 August 2020, the newly-formed political alliance Gabungan Anak Sarawak (GASAK) which includes parties of Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi), Sarawak Workers Party (SWP), Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB), Sarawak for Sarawakians (S4S) and Sarawak Independence Alliance (SIA) announced that GASAK will contest in all 82 seats in next state election.[11]

Medis reports indicated in July 2020 that the election will likely be held in November after the consideration of the federal and state budgets in October.[12] It is expected that at least three candidates (GPS, PH and a minor party) will be fielded in all 82 constituencies.[13]