In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 10 May 1955
- Birthplace
- Kampung Serusup, Tuaran, Sabah
- Country
- Malaysia
- Nationality
- Malaysian
- Known for
- Leading Sabah since 2020 and consolidating the state-based GRS coalition
- Full name
- Hajiji bin Noor
- State office
- Chief Minister of Sabah, since 2020
- Coalition office
- GRS Chairman
- Party office
- Gagasan Rakyat Sabah President
- State seat
- Sulaman, since 1990
Why this life matters
Hajiji’s career shows how Sabah party realignments produced GRS, a regional coalition with an independent state identity and leverage in federal government formation.
Timeline
Key moments
Born in Tuaran
Born in Kampung Serusup in Sabah’s Tuaran district.
Won Sulaman
Entered the Sabah Legislative Assembly and began an uninterrupted electoral tenure in the constituency.
Served in Barisan Nasional state governments
Held assistant minister and ministerial posts as Sabah politics moved through several coalition arrangements.
Joined Bersatu
Became the party’s leading Sabah figure after leaving UMNO in the post-GE14 realignment.
Became chief minister
Took office after the GRS-aligned parties won a majority at the Sabah state election.
Left Bersatu and led Gagasan Rakyat
Shifted GRS toward a locally based party structure while maintaining the coalition’s federal role.
Won a second term
Was appointed chief minister again on 30 November after the Sabah state election.
Continued expanding GRS
Remained chief minister and coalition chairman as GRS consolidated its state-based membership.
Sulaman and a long state career
Hajiji Noor was born in Kampung Serusup, Tuaran, and first won the Sulaman state seat in 1990. His repeated victories made the constituency the foundation of one of Sabah’s longest continuous legislative careers.
He served in Barisan Nasional state administrations through a period when Sabah’s party system was marked by defections, coalition changes and the rotation of the chief minister’s office. That experience gave him a deep place in both local administration and statewide political organisation.
From UMNO to Bersatu
The 2018 federal transfer of power reshaped Sabah as well as the peninsula. Hajiji left UMNO and joined Bersatu, becoming the national party’s leading organiser in the state during the political realignments that followed.
For the 2020 Sabah election, Bersatu and allied parties campaigned within Gabungan Rakyat Sabah. The GRS-aligned victory led to Hajiji’s appointment as chief minister on 29 September 2020.
Turning GRS into a Sabah-based coalition
GRS began as an electoral alliance linking parties with different national affiliations. Hajiji’s departure from Bersatu in December 2022 and subsequent leadership of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah shifted its centre toward a locally based organisation.
That change reflected a recurring Sabah argument: a state coalition can cooperate with a federal government while keeping its own leadership and bargaining position. GRS supported Anwar Ibrahim’s administration after GE15 without becoming a PH or BN component.
A second term after the 2025 election
Sabah returned to the polls in 2025. The result again required coalition building, and the governor appointed Hajiji chief minister effective 30 November, beginning his second term.
The appointment matters because it separates two claims: winning the largest position within an election does not by itself establish government; the decisive constitutional question is who can command the confidence of the state assembly.
Why Hajiji Noor matters
Hajiji’s biography explains the institutional logic behind GRS. The coalition is not merely a Sabah branch of a peninsula organisation; it is a state-centred vehicle able to negotiate with federal coalitions while defending its own electoral brand.
Together with GPS in Sarawak, GRS demonstrates how East Malaysian representation can determine national government formation. Hajiji’s role is therefore important both to Sabah’s domestic politics and to the balance of Malaysia’s federation.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Hajiji Noor
- Who is Hajiji Noor?
- Hajiji Noor is a chief Minister of Sabah and Chairman of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah. Hajiji’s career shows how Sabah party realignments produced GRS, a regional coalition with an independent state identity and leverage in federal government formation.
- What is Hajiji Noor best known for?
- Hajiji Noor is best known for leading Sabah since 2020 and consolidating the state-based GRS coalition.
- When and where was Hajiji Noor born?
- Hajiji Noor was born on 10 May 1955 in Kampung Serusup, Tuaran, Sabah.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 4 October 2026.
- Office of the Chief Minister of SabahBiodata of the Chief Minister of Sabah
- Sabah State GazetteAppointment of the Chief Minister effective 30 November 2025
- Government of SabahSabah State Cabinet
- Office of the Chief Minister of SabahGRS chairman and Sabah chief minister in 2026
- Wikimedia CommonsHajiji Noor portrait and public-domain record
