KOTA KINABALU, Nov 15 — 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 said.
He said that out of the total, independent candidates were the most at 74, followed by Parti Warisan (Warisan) 73, Parti Impian Sabah (PIS) (72), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) (55) and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) (46).
Barisan Nasional (BN) has 45 candidates, Perikatan Nasional (PN) (42), Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) (40), United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) (25) and Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) (22).
This is followed by Parti Kebangsaan Sabah (PKS)(20), Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (Anak Negeri)(17), Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (PPRS)(16), Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK)(14), Parti Rumpun Sabah (Rumpun)(seven), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) (six), Sabah Peace Party (SPP) (five), Perjuangan Rakyat (PR) (five), Pertubuhan Gemilang Anak Sabah (GAS) (three), Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) (three), and Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak (Aspirasi) (three).
Meanwhile, one candidate each came from Parti Pejuang Tanahair (Pejuang), Parti Bersatu Sasa Malaysia (Bersama), and Pertubuhan Perpaduan Rakyat Kebangsaan Sabah (Perpaduan).
"No nomination was rejected,” Ramlan said at a press conference after nominations came to a close here today.
A total of 447 candidates contested in the 16th Sabah State Elections in 2020.
Ramlan said there are 525 male candidates and 71 female candidates.
The oldest candidate is Uling @ Thomas Anggan, 86, of PKS, who is contesting the Bingkor seat, while the youngest candidate is Mohd Syafiq Iqhmal Saharudin, 24, also from PKS.
Tulid state constituency will have the most candidates contesting at 14, followed by Bandau, Tamparuli, Inanam, and Kapayan, each with 13 candidates.
Banggi and Moyong will see a 12-cornered fights, while Bengkoka, Tanjong Kapor, Pintasan, Karambunai, Tanjung Keramat and Balung will have 11 candidates contesting.
"Also, 10 seats have nine-cornered fights, eight seats have eight-cornered fights, 10 seats (seven-cornered fight), 13 seats (six-cornered fights), eight seats (five-cornered fights) and two seats with four-cornered fights,” he said.
The EC has also set up 86 election campaign enforcement teams to monitor all campaigning activities throughout the campaigning period that begins today until 11.59pm, November 28.
Polling day is on November 29 while early voting is set on November 25.
