1986 Sabah riots

The riots occurred in response to the results of the 1985 state election, whereby the newly formed Parti Bersatu Sabah (United Sabah Party) won, ousting Parti Berjaya from the helm of government. Berjaya was the previous ruling party and a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN), the nation's and federal ruling coalition party. It was reported that mobs took to the streets to bring down the president of PBS Pairin Kitingan from the Chief Minister post.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/01/world/kota-kinabalu-journal-with-houses-on-stilts-and-hopes-in-another-land.html|title= Kota Kinabalu Journal; With Houses on Stilts and Hopes in Another Land|author=Barbara Crossette|work=The New York Times|date=1 October 1987|access-date=18 January 2007}}

It was also suspected that the riots were triggered by the losing parties including BN to bring forth a proclamation of emergency to justify a takeover by the federal government{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/29/world/malaysian-rules-an-election-is-needed-in-embattled-state.html|title=Malaysian Rules an Election Is Needed in Embattled State|work=The New York Times|date=29 March 1986|access-date=8 March 2009}} similar to those which happened in 1966 in Sarawak and 1977 in Kelantan.{{cite web|url=http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newspolitic.php?id=387958|title=Nizar Not First To Refuse To Quit|author=Alan Ting|publisher=Bernama|date=5 February 2009|access-date=8 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208042453/http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newspolitic.php?id=387958|archive-date=8 February 2009|url-status=dead}}

Pairin, himself a former member of Party Berjaya, formed PBS barely 47 days before the elections.{{cite journal|jstor=2644213|author=K. Ramanathan Kalimuthu|title=The Sabah State Elections of April 1985|journal=Asian Survey|volume=26|issue=7|pages=815–837|publisher=Asian Survey, Vol. 26, No. 7|year=1986|doi=10.2307/2644213}} Opponents of PBS, namely, Harris Salleh of Berjaya, and Tun Mustapha of USNO were dissatisfied with the result. Tun Mustapha then sought to get sworn in as Chief Minister illegally,{{cite news|publisher=New Straits Times|url=http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Columns/2086779/Article/index_html|author=Kalimullah Hassan|title=OPINION: Reforms yes, but not through violence in the streets|access-date=18 January 2008|date=18 November 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071221225545/http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Columns/2086779/Article/index_html |archive-date =21 December 2007}} and this resulted in a court battle which ended in favour of Pairin.{{cite web|work=The New York Times|title= Kota Kinabalu Journal; With Houses on Stilts and Hopes in Another Land|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE4D9163BF932A35753C1A961948260|author=Crossette, Barbara|date=1 October 1987|access-date=18 January 2007}}{{cite web|publisher=Parti Bersatu Sabah|title=Historical Background|url=http://www.pbs-sabah.org/pbs3/html/party/background.html|access-date=18 January 2008|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415190007/http://www.pbs-sabah.org/pbs3/html/party/background.html|archive-date=15 April 2013|url-status=dead}}

PBS later sought to have snap election because of political manoeuvring causing PBS representatives to defect.{{cite web|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/22/nation/21624309&sec=nation|title=Is snap polls the answer?|author=Suhaini Aznam|work=The Star|date=22 June 2008|access-date=8 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906003746/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/22/nation/21624309&sec=nation|archive-date=6 September 2009|url-status=dead}} Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad also tried to negotiate with PBS to form a coalition with BN in return for peace in the state. Finally the election was held on 4 and 5 May 1986. PBS won again and this time with a bigger margin.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/hualian_studentclub/pilihanraya/pilihanraya_umum_sabah_1986.htm|title=Malaysia – Pilihan Raya – Pilihan Raya Umum Sabah (1986)|publisher=GeoCities|access-date=8 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003224127/http://www.geocities.com/hualian_studentclub/pilihanraya/pilihanraya_umum_sabah_1986.htm|archive-date=3 October 2009|url-status=dead}}

A documentary on the 1986 riots was created by Sabahan film-maker Nadira Ilana released in 2012 called The Silent Riot. The film emerged as one of the winning proposals for the Freedom Film Fest (FFF) 2012.

• Gan Pei Ling. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130909142826/http://www.selangortimes.com/index.php?section=insight&permalink=20120913120511-the-hushed-riot-of-sabah The hushed riot of Sabah] in Selangor Times

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• Chronicle of Malaysia, Editions Didier Millet (2007). "1986".

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{{History of East Malaysia}}

{{Malaysian protests and rallies}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1986 Sabah Riots}}

Sabah

Category:Politics of Sabah

Category:Riots and civil disorder in Malaysia

Category:History of Sabah

Sabah Riots, 1986

Category:Protests in Malaysia