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YOUNG voters could end up being the decision makers in the coming Sabah state election, based on the Nadi Sabah 2025 study by Institut Darul Ehan (IDE).
Driven by leadership and stability, IDE chairman Senator Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohammad Redzuan Othman said this group was less bound by party loyalties.
The survey, carried out with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and the Social and Community Research Organisation, also revealed that about 27 percent of voters in Sabah have yet to decide on their preferred candidates.
"The group of undecided voters is quite large and also has the potential to determine the final outcome of the Sabah election," said Redzuan.
The study found that 52.8 percent of the undecided voters were women, while 47.2 percent were men, with 55.1 percent living on the west coast of Sabah.
"Based on age groups, the middle-aged group (31–50 years old) recorded the highest percentage at 40.1 percent, followed by the young group (18–39 years old) at 35.2 percent.
"Most of them are self-employed or in business (39 percent), followed by private sector workers (15.3 percent)," he said.
He added that 71.2 percent of fence-sitters were more likely to evaluate a candidate's contribution to the local community than the political party they represented.
The survey covered 2,488 respondents across 73 constituencies statewide.
"The three main issues that concern Sabahans are water and electricity supply disruptions, road conditions, and the cost of living," he said.
Only respondents in the west coast area also highlighted issues related to Sabah's rights, autonomy, and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). – November 7, 2025