Sabah State Governor’s Birthday in Malaysia Date in the current year: March 30, 2026

The state of Sabah is located in the northern part of Borneo. Unlike most other states in Malaysia, it has never been an independent sultanate. Originally, its territory was part of the Bruneian Empire. In 1658, the Sultan of Brunei ceded part of Borneo, including the territory of the present-day Sabah, to the Sultanate of Sulu as a sign of gratitude for providing assistance in settling the Brunei Civil War.

In the 19th century, North Borneo became a British protectorate administered by the North Borneo Chartered Company (the British government controlled only the foreign policy of the protectorate). During World War II, North Borneo was temporarily occupied by Japan. Shortly after Japan’s surrender and the end of the war, North Borneo was transformed into a British Crown colony.

In 1963, North Borneo was granted the right to self-government and chose to join the Federation of Malaya (as Sabah) alongside Sarawak and Singapore. This is how Malaysia was formed (although Singapore was expelled from the federation two years later). Since Sabah didn’t have a hereditary ruler, Mustapha Harun was appointed as the first governor of Sabah.

Sabah is one of four Malaysian states that are not constitutional monarchies (the other three are Malacca, Penang and Sarawak). Each of these states is ruled by a governor (Yang di-Pertua Negeri) who is appointed by the Supreme Head of Malaysia (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) for a four-year term. Since the term is renewable, most governors are regularly reappointed and rule their states for more than four years.

The incumbent governor of Sabah (as of 2026), Musa bin Aman, has been serving since January 2025. Born on March 30, 1951, Musa became interested in business during his childhood. He studied business administration in Malaysia and Australia, and launched his entrepreneurial career in 1972.

Musa’s political career began in 1990 when he participated in the Sabah state election but lost his seat. He became a member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly in 1994. He then served as minister in the chief minister’s department from 1999 to 2002, minister of finance from 2002 to 2018, and chief minister of Sabah from 2002 to 2018.

During the 2018 constitutional crisis in Sabah, Musa first refused to step down as chief minister and then left the country. Upon returning several months later, he was charged with multiple corruption-related offenses. However, he was suddenly acquitted in Jule 2020 and appointed Yang di-Pertua Negeri (state governor) of Sabah in late 2024. Despite public criticism of his appointment, Musa was sworn in on January 1, 2025.