About 27% of voters in Sabah remain undecided about the parties they will support in the coming 17th state election, according to a poll by the Institut Darul Ehsan Research Centre.
Its chairman, Redzuan Othman, said the survey of 2,488 respondents of various demographics found that 40.1% of the fence sitters were aged 31 to 50, while 35.2% were 18 to 30 years old.
About 55% of those surveyed reside in the west coast of Sabah.
Redzuan said the fence sitters have the potential of determining the final outcome of the Nov 29 polls, Berita Harian reported.
“Most of them are self-employed or run their own businesses (39%), followed by those working in the private sector (15.3%),” he said.
He said 71.2% of the respondents expressed a greater inclination towards voting for candidates based on their contributions to the local community instead of their political party.
Most of the young voters also said they do not have a fixed political leaning and are largely dependent on social media content to determine how they will vote.
He said the main issues of concern cited by respondents are electricity and water supply issues, the conditions of roads, and the cost of living.
Only those surveyed in the west coast stressed the issues of Sabah’s rights, autonomy, and the Malaysia Agreement 1963, he said.
Those aged 15 to 30 make up 33% of the population in Sabah, according to the statistics department.
The state election will be held on Nov 29 with nominations fixed for Nov 15.
A total of 1,784,843 Sabahans are eligible to cast their ballots.
This election is shaping up to be yet another crowded contest, with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah set to clash with Barisan Nasional despite both coalitions reaching a pact with Pakatan Harapan.
Warisan, Perikatan Nasional, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku, the Sabah Progressive Party, and Parti Gemilang Anak Sabah are also expected to field candidates for the 73 seats up for grabs.
