KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he will soon announce the coalition’s candidates for the upcoming Sabah state election, including those from MCA.
However, Zahid declined to reveal how many seats will be allocated to the party.
While MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has yet to formally announce the seats the party intends to contest, Sabah MCA chairman Datuk Teah Heok Kuin told Free Malaysia Today (FMT) in May that the party is eyeing the Segama, Tanjong Kapor and Karamunting seats.
Zahid also said that MIC will not be fielding any candidates in the polls, noting that the Indian community in Sabah is relatively small.
“We will mostly field fresh faces from professional backgrounds, while some old faces will also be given the opportunity.
“At the same time, Pakatan Harapan (PH) and BN have finalised our electoral pact for the polls,” he told reporters after attending the PuTERA35 @ UiTM outreach programme at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Puncak Alam today.
Previously, Zahid said the Sabah election would be Umno‘s final opportunity to prove its strength before heading into the 16th general election (GE16).
He also hinted at the possibility of post-election cooperation with the Hajiji Noor-led Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), despite what he described as “past betrayals” following the 2020 state election.
Caretaker chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor dissolved the Sabah assembly on October 6, paving the way for the 17th state election, which must be held no later than December 7.
