KOTA KINABALU: A night of surprises is forecast as up to 1,689,387 eligible voters head to polling booths across Sabah to choose 25 MPs.
Amid strong political undercurrents in each of the seats, pundits expect some shocks as the results roll out of Sabah on Saturday (Nov 19) night.
Contesting these seats are parties in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-Barisan Nasional (GRS-Barisan) state coalition government; while in the Opposition there are Parti Warisan, Pakatan Harapan plus Muda, Pejuang and local-based Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM); as well as a number of Independents.
Breaking away from the GRS-Barisan electoral seat sharing plan are the sole Perikatan Nasional candidate in Beluran, Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee; and the Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) candidate in Ranau, Datuk Ewon Ebin; who are both considered as going against the pact.
Although their political inclinations may differ, all parties have made state rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and increased oil royalties their main agenda.
"It is going to be very competitive. Voters are keeping their choices to themselves," said political analyst Toni Paridi Bagang, a Sabah Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) lecturer.
He said people on the ground are excited to cast their vote.
"The issues of MA63 and Borneo bloc (Sabah and Sarawak MPs forming a bloc to push Borneo rights) are being loudly capitalised by these parties but bread-and-butter issues remain a major concern of voters," he said.
Political observer Dr Lee Kuok Tong said people were keen to go out to vote "rain or shine" as many were using the holiday on Friday (Nov 18) to drive back to their their voting districts around the state.
"The turnout will be high," he said.
GRS-Barisan are fielding political heavyweights including two deputy chief ministers and four state ministers.
The two Deputy Chief Ministers are Sabah Barisan chairman Datuk Bung Moktar Radin and Sabah STAR president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan who will defend their Kinabatangan and Keningau seats respectively.
Two state ministers, Datuk Shaelmey Yahya and Datuk Yakubah Khan, have been tasked to recapture the Opposition-held seats of Sepanggar (Warisan) and Putatan (Pakatan) respectively.
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili, a GRS candidate, is in a tight race to keep his northern Kota Marudu seat.
Similarly, Upko president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, a Pakatan candidate, is locked in a do-or-die battle for Tuaran.
In Penampang, Upko president-designate Datuk Ewon Benedick is taking on incumbent Datuk Darell Leiking of Warisan while GRS-Barisan candidate Kenny Chua is hoping to take back the seat for the government.
Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, whose party has stayed out of any of the three major coalitions and is going it alone in all 25 seats, will be defending the Semporna seat he has held since 1995.
