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THE Election Commission (EC) has confirmed that Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) candidate for the Silam state seat, Abd Halim Sidek Gulam Hassan, will remain on the ballot for the 17th Sabah State Election despite his recent announcement to withdraw from the race.
EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus explained that Abd Halim’s attempt to step down came after he had already been officially declared a candidate on nomination day.
He noted that, under Regulation 9 of the Elections (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981, no candidate is allowed to withdraw after 10am on the day nominations close.
“As stated in Regulation 9, ‘no candidate may withdraw his nomination after 10am on nomination day’. Therefore, the PH candidate for the N.62 Silam state constituency will remain on the ballot for the upcoming polls,” he said.
Abd Halim, who had cited personal reasons and the need to preserve coalition unity as motivations for his withdrawal, described the decision as a voluntary and mature choice made without external pressure.
“This decision was made with maturity and in the interest of maintaining good relations and harmony with our coalition partners. I believe that unity and cooperation between PH and other political partners is crucial for the future of our state’s politics,” he said.
PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail echoed the sentiment, emphasising that Abd Halim’s withdrawal reflected a strategic effort to strengthen coalition cohesion and minimise internal clashes ahead of the election.
Saifuddin, who leads seat negotiations for PH in Sabah, noted that the coalition prioritises consolidating support rather than contesting as may seats as possible.
“As someone leading the negotiations, I have mentioned several times before to media colleagues that my task is to finalise the seat negotiations so that an agreement can be reached, and to minimise any potential clashes.
So, when there is a clash, we try to minimise it. That is one of the decisions we made to eliminate the clash so it would not happen,” he said.
Saifuddin expressed gratitude to Abd Halim for his willingness to step back after discussions with party leadership, framing it as part of the coalition’s broader strategy to maximise electoral success.
“Even though a decision had been made for him to submit his (nomination) papers, in the end, I thank the candidate involved because we held negotiations and he agreed.
“And that is proof that we are trying to increase our chances of winning, not contesting as many seats as possible. At the very least, we have done our part, which is to minimise clashes and increase the chances of victory for our allies,” he said.
Abd Halim’s name will therefore remain on the Silam ballot, in accordance with EC regulations, while PH continues its efforts to present a united front in the upcoming state election. - November 18, 2025