Candidates Galore In Crowded Sabah Election

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EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh has urged everyone to go out and vote. (Bernama pic)KOTA KINABALU: A total of 447 candidates from various parties will contest in the 16th Sabah state general election. Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said the candidates were from 16 parties and included 56 independents
He said Parti Cinta Sabah was the sole party to contest all 73 state seats followed by Warisan (53), United Sabah National Organisation (47), LDP (46), BN (41), PN (29), Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (28), Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (23), PBS (22) and Upko (12), among others
He said there were multi-cornered fights in all the seats, the lowest being three-way battles and highest with 11 candidates vying for one seat, the Bengkoka seat in the Kudat parliamentary area
“There are 15 five-way battles, 26 six-way battles, 13 seven-way battles, six eight-cornered fights and three nine-cornered ones (among others),” he said to reporters here today
On the candidates, Ghani said there were 404 men and 43 women
He said there were 11 candidates aged between 18 and 29; 58 candidates between 30 and 39; and 98 candidates aged between 40 and 49
The most number of candidates at 149 were those aged between 50 and 59, while those above 60-years-old number at 131 people
“The youngest candidate is 22-years-old standing in Tandek while the oldest is 75 contesting the Bugaya seat in the Semporna parliamentary constituency,” he said
Ghani said the EC hopes for a 75% voter turnout despite the Covid-19 pandemic. “We are imploring everyone, particularly the media, to encourage people to go out and vote on Sept 26,” he said
He added the EC has appointed 163 observers from government agencies and NGOs to monitor the election process. - FMT

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