Kota kinabalu: A total of 596 candidates are confirmed to contest for 73 state seats in the 17th Sabah state election, Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun announced. The election will witness a diverse range of political parties and independent candidates vying for representation.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, independent candidates lead the pack with 74 individuals contesting. They are closely followed by Parti Warisan (Warisan) with 73 candidates, Parti Impian Sabah (PIS) fielding 72 candidates, and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) with 55 candidates. Other parties in the fray include Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) with 46 candidates, Barisan Nasional (BN) with 45, Perikatan Nasional (PN) with 42, and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) with 40. United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) are fielding 25 and 22 candidates, respectively.
Additional parties participating include Parti Kebangsaan Sabah (PKS) with 20 candidates, Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (Anak Negeri) with 17, and Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (PPRS) with 16. Other smaller parties such as Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK), Parti Rumpun Sabah (Rumpun), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), and others are also in the race, with numbers ranging from one to fourteen candidates each.
“No nomination was rejected,” stated Ramlan at a media conference following the close of nominations. This election sees an increase in candidates from the 2020 Sabah state elections, which had 447 contestants.
The demographic breakdown of candidates includes 525 males and 71 females. The oldest candidate is Uling @ Thomas Anggan, aged 86, from PKS contesting in the Bingkor seat, while the youngest is Mohd Syafiq Iqhmal Saharudin, aged 24, also from PKS.
The Tulid state constituency has the highest number of candidates at 14, while other constituencies like Bandau, Tamparuli, Inanam, and Kapayan each have 13 candidates. Several other constituencies feature multi-cornered fights, with numbers ranging from four to twelve contestants.
To ensure smooth electoral processes, the EC has established 86 election campaign enforcement teams tasked with monitoring all campaign activities during the period, which runs until 11:59 pm on November 28. Polling day is scheduled for November 29, with early voting set for November 25.