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EARLY voters from Sabah’s security forces have expressed their hopes that the next state government will fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to them by the people in the upcoming 17th General Election (PRN17).
Muhammad Firdaus Mohd Khadzali, 32, a Junior Tactical Warfare Plotter, voted for the first time at his new station after being posted to the district eight months ago.
He said early voting eased the burden on personnel who are regularly engaged in maritime operations.
“Early voting allows us to fulfil our duty without affecting operations,” he said. “We hope the leaders who emerge from this election will be able to shoulder the responsibilities given by the people of Sabah. Whatever current issues exist, we hope they can be resolved effectively by the new leadership.”
He made the remarks after casting his vote at Dewan Sukan Mohd Azim, within the Royal Malaysian Navy Family House (TLDM), earlier today.
His colleague, Muhammad Faiz Margono, 26, a First-Class Surface Warfare Sailor, noted that this was his first time voting in person on land, having previously used postal voting.
“I voted by post before because I was on duty aboard a ship at the time. I was quite nervous choosing a candidate. Nonetheless, I hope that the vote I have cast will bring benefits and positive changes to the area where I serve,” he said.
Election Officer for the Karamunting and Sekong state constituencies, Karim Abdul Saman, reported that 80 per cent of early voters had completed the process within four hours of polling opening at 8 am.
He added that the early voting proceeded smoothly, with no incidents or breaches of regulations.
The process was also monitored by the Commander of Naval Region 2, Laksamana Muda Datuk Yusne Mokhtar, who conducted a brief inspection to ensure that security measures and standard operating procedures were observed.
A total of 1,325 early voters, comprising military and police personnel and their spouses, cast their ballots across three polling stations serving the two state constituencies: the TLDM Family House, Dewan Datu Paduka Mat Salleh at the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) apartments, and Prospect One Sdn Bhd at Batu Sapi Jetty. - November 25, 2025