Sabah is heading into its most crowded state election ever, with a record-breaking 596 candidates vying for 73 state seats, marking the highest number of contestants in the state’s electoral history.
According to China Press, Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Seri Nanan Harun said this represents a 33.3% increase from the previous state election, which saw 447 candidates.
23 parties, 74 independents in the race
Nanan revealed in the press conference that 23 political parties are in the running this year, alongside 74 independent candidates. He confirmed that all nomination papers were accepted with no disqualifications reported.
This time around, voters won’t see any straight fights. In fact, every single seat will be contested by at least four candidates, with some attracting more than triple that number.
The Tulid seat has the highest number of candidates, a whopping 14, including six independents and eight party representatives.
Notably, incumbent assemblywoman Datuk Flovia Ng is not defending her seat.
Meanwhile, the seats with the fewest candidates are Sinalang and Melobai, each featuring four-corner fights.
Candidates demographics
Of the total 596 candidates, 525 are men and 71 are women.
Despite the overwhelming male majority, this election also marks the highest number of female candidates in Sabah’s history.
The oldest and youngest candidates both come from Sabah Tanah Airku Party (Sabah Homeland Party), with 86-year-old Thomas Angang contesting the Bingkor seat and 24-year-old Mohamad Shafieq contesting the Sinan seat.
As for age distribution, the majority of candidates are 60 and above (205 people), followed by:
- 50–59 years: 178 candidates
- 40–49 years: 146 candidates
- 30–39 years: 59 candidates
- 20–29 years: 8 candidates
With a mix of seasoned politicians, first-timers, independents and multi-cornered battles, Sabah voters are set for one of the most intense election landscapes the state has ever seen.
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