17th Sabah State Election: Venue To Gauge Influence Of Young Voters In Shaping State's Political Landscape

By Suraidah Roslan

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- Many political analysts view the upcoming 17th Sabah Election (PRN17) as a key opportunity to gauge the influence of young voters in shaping the political landscape in the state.

Based on the August 2025 Supplementary Electoral Roll, there are 126,979 voters aged 18 to 20, and 406,950 voters aged 21 to 29, out of a total of 1.78 million voters in the 73 state constituencies in Sabah.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Fellow, Associate Professor Dr Bilcher Bala said the significant number of young voters could play a decisive role in determining voting patterns in PRN17, particularly in marginal constituencies, as well as urban and semi-urban areas.

However, the National Historians' Council member noted that the influence of young voters on the election outcome does not rely solely on their large numbers, but also on factors such as their level of political literacy, mobilisation and the clarity of narratives presented by political parties.

“In the post-Undi18 landscape, young voters are becoming more inclined to evaluate candidates based on their personality and competence, rather than mere party loyalty,” he said.

"Therefore, candidates who can build direct connections with the young community and offer concrete solutions to the issues of the younger generation have a great chance of creating a new wave of support," he told Bernama.

The Election Commission (EC) has set the nomination date for the Sabah PRN on Nov 15, while the early voting date and polling day are Nov 25 and 29, respectively.

Undi18, which comes into effect in Dec 2021 allows citizens aged 18 and above to be automatically registered as voters, thus making the 17th Sabah PRN the first testing ground to assess the patterns and tendencies of young voters in determining the state's political direction.

Bilcher said candidates who want to attract the attention of young voters need to highlight issues rooted in current realities, such as job opportunities, local economic empowerment and access to basic infrastructure such as roads, internet, and housing for the younger generation.

In addition, he said issues such as the restoration of Sabah's rights within the framework of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), administrative transparency, and the involvement of young people in the political decision-making process also have the potential to create profound political impacts.

Meanwhile, UMS senior lecturer Dr Haryati Abdul Karim believes that young voters in Sabah may not yet be able to trigger a major political shift in this state election, as many still lack understanding and engagement with current political developments.

The Borneo Election and Geopolitics Study (GeoPES) researcher said the number of voters aged under 30 is only 30 per cent, with the remaining aged over 30, making it difficult to conclude that young voters alone can significantly alter Sabah’s voting pattern.

 However, she said that her research shows young voters tend to make decisions based on the qualities of individual candidates rather than party affiliation, and that many young Sabahans do not display strong loyalty to any particular political party.

“What young voters often emphasise is their desire for leaders who can truly develop Sabah and address the fundamental issues that continue to affect their lives, such as basic amenities, employment opportunities, affordable housing, and the rising cost of living,” she said.

She said that to win the hearts of young voters, the candidate must present fresh ideas and clear visions for Sabah’s development, as young voters tend to evaluate candidates and parties based on their track record of governance.

Based on her interviews with young people, she said, many expressed disappointment over the unresolved infrastructure problems in their areas and the lack of visible reforms,  which has led them to desire new faces in politics.

She said that her earlier research found that young voters place less trust in political campaigns conducted solely on social media platforms, such as TikTok.

Instead, they prefer face-to-face campaigns, which allow them to better assess the personality and credibility of the candidates.

-- BERNAMA