KOTA KINABALU, Nov 15 — A record-breaking 596 candidates and 24 political parties are contesting in the 17th Sabah state election.
Election Commission chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said the nomination process for the polls was carried out today at 25 centres involving the 73 state seats across Sabah.
“After the nomination period closed at 10am, a total of 596 candidates representing various parties were confirmed to be contesting in the 17th Sabah State General Election,” he told a press conference here.
They include 74 independent candidates, followed by Parti Warisan’s 73 candidates, Parti Impian Sabah with 72 candidates, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah with 55 candidates, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku with 46 candidates, and Barisan Nasional with 45 candidates.
Also contesting are Perikatan Nasional (42), Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (40), United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (25), Pakatan Harapan (22), Parti Kebangsaan Sabah (20), Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (17), Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (16), Parti Bumi Kenyalang (14), Parti Rumpun Sabah (7), Sabah Progressive Party (6), Parti Damai Sabah (5), and Perjuangan Rakyat (5).
Pertubuhan Gemilang Anak Sabah, Parti Bangsa Malaysia, and Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak have three candidates each, while Parti Pejuang Tanahair, Parti Bersatu Sasa Malaysia, and Pertubuhan Perpaduan Rakyat Kebangsaan Sabah are fielding one candidate each.
Tulit will the most crowded affair with a 14-cornered fight, while there are four 13-cornered battles, two with 12 candidates, six with 11 candidates, and nine with 10.
There are also two four-cornered fights, eight with five corners, 13 constituencies with six candidates, 10 with seven candidates, eight with eight candidates, and 10 nine-cornered battles.
Only 71 of the candidates are women.
The youngest candidate is 24-year-old Mohd Syafiq Iqhmal Saharudin from PKS who will contest in Silam, while the oldest is PKS’ Bingkor candidate Thomas Anggan, who is 86.
In the 2020 Sabah state election, there were 447 candidates for the 73 seats, while in 2018, there a total of 352 candidates contested the then 60 state seats. — The Borneo Post
