GRS’ only Chinese lawmaker left standing, Ben Chong for DCM spot in Hajiji’s Sabah Cabinet?
Datuk Ben Chong Chen Bin who kept his Tanjong Kapor seat for the second consecutive time in the November 29, 2025 Sabah election is widely speculated to be a shoo-in for the Hajiji state Cabinet to thank local Chinese voters. — Picture from Facebook/Ben Chong
Sunday, 30 Nov 2025 5:29 PM MYT
KOTA KINABALU, Nov 30 — Tanjong Kapor assemblyman Datuk Ben Chong Chen Bin could be one of three deputy chief ministers if Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor keeps to his election promise.
After all, Chong, 47, is the only ethnic Chinese in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition to have survived yesterday’s election.
The other winning ethnic Chinese candidates are with the rival Parti Warisan.
Chong won the seat in Kudat for the third time this election; twice under a Warisan ticket, but he holds no major leadership roles aside from the Tanjong Kapor division chief of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS).
His foray in public politics began in 2018 as a candidate for the newly-formed Warisan.
He won the seat again in 2020 but then defected to the governing GRS in 2023.
In this weekend’s polls, he narrowly won the seat for the due to split votes with a 359 majority.
His biggest competitors were independent Datuk Verdon Bahanda who polled 5,812 and Warisan youth chief Terence Au who polled 4,737. Eight other candidates lost their deposits.
In September, Hajiji said GRS will appoint a Chinese elected representative as a deputy chief minister if the coalition returns to power.
Hajiji was sworn in earlier this morning, but it is still unclear who will be part of his Cabinet.
Speculation in Sabah is now focused on the appointments of the Hajiji state administration and who will be picked as appointed assemblymen.
So far, United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku have openly declared their full support for Hajiji.
Parti Kesejahteraan Tanah Airku and the five independents who won have yet to make a public statement.
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