Three Sarawak parties fielding candidates in the 17th Sabah election

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 15 2025: Three Sarawak-based parties have fielded candidates in the 17^th Sabah election at the nomination day today while polling is set for Nov 29.

Former journalist Datuk Joniston Bangkuai (GRS-PBS) waving at his supporters outside the nomination centre. He is defending his Kiulu seat in the Sabah election

Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) will contest in 14 seats while Parti Bangsa Malaysia and Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak are each putting in three candidates.

The 17^th Sabah election saw the largest number of candidates at 596 compared to 447 candidates in the 16th Sabah state election in 2020.

Parties contesting in the 17^th election at a glance

Independent candidates - 74

Parti Warisan (Warisan) - 73

Parti Impian Sabah (PIS)  -72

Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)- 55

Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) - 46

 Barisan Nasional (BN) - 45

Perikatan Nasional (PN) - 42

Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) - 40

United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) - 25

Pakatan Harapan (PH)- 22.

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) - 7,

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) - 6

Sabah Peace Party (SPP) - 5

Perjuangan Rakyat (PR) - 5

Pertubuhan Gemilang Anak Sabah (GAS) - 3

Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) - 3

Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak (Aspirasi) - 3

Parti Pejuang Tanahair (Pejuang) - 1

Parti Bersatu Sasa Malaysia (Bersama) - 1

Pertubuhan Perpaduan Rakyat Kebangsaan Sabah (Perpaduan) - 1

525 male candidates and 71 female candidates.

The oldest candidate  - Uling @ Thomas Anggan, 86, of PKS,  in Bingkor seat

The youngest candidate -  Mohd Syafiq Iqhmal Saharudin, 24, also from PKS.

Tulid state constituency - 14 candidates

Bandau, Tamparuli, Inanam, and Kapayan -13 candidates

Banggi and Moyog - 12 candidates

Bengkoka, Tanjong Kapor, Pintasan, Karambunai, Tanjung Keramat and Balung -  11 candidates

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.

 

State government to take over logging roads that are connected to longhouses and villages

MARUDI. Nov 15 2025: Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg has said that all logging roads which are connected to longhouses and villages will be taken over by the state government.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg: We cannot wait for others. We will do it ourselves, using our own funds. I will look for the funds. 

“Therefore, we have made a decision that all logging roads which are connected to longhouses and villages, will be excised to become public roads without any compensation to be paid.” he said at the launch of Miri-Marudi-Mulu-Long Panai-Long Lama (MMMLL) road project today.

He said these roads will be rehabilitated and upgraded into public roads, adding that they will be implemented by the state government.

“A task force under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development has already been formed for us to upgrade the logging roads,” he said.

He said the state government will use its own funds to rehabilitate and upgrade the logging roads.

“We cannot wait for others. We will do it ourselves, using our own funds. I will look for the funds.

“This is something that we will not take lightly. I dare say because I have found  ways to look for the money,” he said.

Abang Johari said he understands the difficulties in using the logging roads.

“Sometimes, we cannot use logging roads, not only the roads are in bad conditions, but also we need to ask permission from the logging companies,” he added, referring to the logging roads in the deep interior of Baram.

According to Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil earlier, his Marudi state constituency covers an area from Kuala Baram to Long Tisam.

He said with an area 3,538 km2, 44,000 inhabitants, the Marudi  constituency covers the areas of Bandar Marudi, Bakong and Tinjar and is very far behind in terms of infrastructure development and social structure.

“It took me almost two years just to visit all the villages/longhouses to collect data and then prepare a development masterplan for this area, covering several series of project proposals that I had submitted to the premier and deputy premier.

“I still remember at one point, the journey from Miri to Marudi at that time took at least three hours and the road conditions at that time were very bad,” Penguang said.

RM600 million deposited into sovereign wealth fund every year over a 20-year period

MARUDI, Nov 15 2025: The state government is depositing RM600 million every year into the State Sovereign Wealth Fund (SSWF), Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg has said.

Datuk Patinggi Abang Joharri: Next year's State Budget may be bigger than this year's budget

He said the deposit will not be touched for a period of 20 years.

“It will be invested in fixed instruments to generate income for Sarawak,”he said at the launch of Miri-Marudi-Mulu-Long Panai-Long Lama (MMMLL) road project her, today.

He said Sarawak is following the methods used by Norway by investing in fixed instruments.

“Norway now has about US$2 trillion in its wealth fund,” he said.

Abang Johari, who is also the Finance and New Economy Minister, said that the State Budget 2026 that he will present at the State Legislative Assembly later this month may be slightly bigger than this year’s budget of RM15.8 billion.

“Before, I didn’t dare to speak in terms of billions, but today I dare because we have new ways to increase our revenue,” he said.

“Hopefully, you can know how much is our State Budget 2026 at the end of this month,” he said.

He added Sarawak collects over RM10 billion revenue over the past years.