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PEJUANG is looking to contest no more than four State Legislative Assembly (DUN) seats in the 17th Sabah election (PRN17).
Its president, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, said among the seats currently being eyed are the Pantai Manis and Kawang state seats in the Papar parliamentary constituency, as well as Tamparuli in the Tuaran parliamentary constituency.
However, he said the decision depends on the outcome of discussions with Perikatan Nasional (PN).
"I admit that in Papar, both Pantai Manis and Kawang are among the two DUNs that we are interested in. But as I said earlier, it has not been finalized yet.
"For your information, Nicholas Sylvester is indeed a native of Papar. His family is also there and he is a well-known figure. I think he will be a suitable candidate in this Sabah PRN, God willing. One or two places have not been decided yet.
"Sabah is vast, 73 seats are a lot, but among those we see, apart from Papar is Tamparuli," he said.
Commenting further, the former Kedah Menteri Besar said that discussions with PN are now in the final stages and they are expected to reach an agreement in the near future.
Regarding cooperation with local parties, Mukhriz said Pejuang will leave it to PN's decision as the main coalition partner.
"I think PN will definitely establish a form of cooperation with local parties in Sabah, so we will just follow whatever decision PN makes," he said.
Mukhriz added that the presence of a vocal opposition in the DUN is also important to ensure that there are checks and balances against the state government, especially in the management and implementation of development projects.
"One of our main principles is to fight corruption...
"This is very important because the annual audit reports, whether at the Sabah or Federal levels, are very shocking and sad because tens of billions of ringgit that should have benefited the people have disappeared," he said.
PN is reported to be aiming to contest 36 of the 73 seats in the 17th state election.
PN Chief Whip, Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the number reflected the coalition's desire to govern the state. – October 13, 2025