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THE political spotlight turns to Sabah’s capital this weekend as Malaysia’s top leaders converge ahead of crucial announcements for the state’s 17th General Election.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi are expected to make key announcements as they coordinate final strategies for their respective coalitions, Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN), which have agreed to cooperate in the November polls, reported The New Straits Times.
Ahmad Zahid will today chair a series of meetings with Umno and BN supreme council members at the Sabah Umno headquarters, while Anwar is expected to arrive later in the evening to hold discussions with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leaders at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) tomorrow.
Before that, Anwar will meet members of the Sabah Industry Association at a hotel here at 8pm. Tomorrow morning, around 9am, he and his entourage are scheduled to meet voters and have breakfast at Gaya Street’s Sunday market.
Both BN and PH will unveil their lists of candidates on Sunday. Ahmad Zahid is expected to announce BN’s candidates around noon at the Umno headquarters, while Anwar is likely to reveal PKR’s line-up later that evening at the SICC.
Sabah DAP, a component of the PH coalition, will announce its candidates today at 11.30am at a local hotel.
The Election Commission has set 15 November as nomination day, with polling to take place on 29 November. Around 1.7 million Sabahans are eligible to vote.
The joint presence of Malaysia’s two top leaders in Kota Kinabalu underscores Sabah’s strategic importance in shaping the stability and future of the federal unity government. - November 8, 2025