PUTRAJAYA, Nov 4 — As political preparations intensify for the 17th Sabah State Election, UMNO President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that 95 per cent of seat-sharing discussions have been concluded.
The discussions, involving Barisan Nasional (BN) and its federal ally Pakatan Harapan (PH), are expected to be officially unveiled next week during Zahid’s visit to Kota Kinabalu.
“Negotiations are almost complete, about 95 per cent finalised. The details will be announced when I am in Kota Kinabalu,” he told reporters after launching the Putrajaya Ideas Festival (FOI) 2025 at PICC.
Zahid revealed that four out of every five BN candidates in Sabah will be first-time contenders, underscoring the coalition’s strategy to rejuvenate its leadership and appeal to younger voters.
He added that the collaboration between BN and PH aims to present a unified front and avoid seat clashes, in contrast to the fragmented contests of the past.
In the previous 2020 Sabah polls, BN won 14 seats, GRS 37, and PH nine.
On the other hand, Parti Warisan, led by Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, has chosen to go solo, planning to contest all 73 state seats with confidence that it can form the next government without alliances.
The Election Commission has scheduled nomination day for November 15, early voting for November 25, and polling day for November 29.
