Who's who and what's at stake as 1.7m Sabah voters head to state election

Local parties, independents campaign on development gap, demand for autonomy

- Muzliza Mustafa

Sabah voters head to the ballot boxes on Nov 29 in a state election that analysts say could even reshape federal politics, with the Anwar Ibrahim administration set to pay close attention to the results.

Anti-Peninsular Malaysia sentiment has become a central narrative for local parties, as they try to convince Sabahans that homegrown parties are best positioned to deliver greater autonomy to the resource-rich state of 3.8 million people.

Meanwhile, independent contenders under the Black Wave movement propose a people-first alternative that promises genuine representation for Sabahans, even as they go up against a field dominated by major parties and political dynasties.

Curious as to what is at play in the East Malaysian state? Read more as The Straits Times explains.

WHAT ARE SABAHANS VOTING FOR?

In short: Whether their resource-rich state can finally break free from chronic poverty and infrastructure failures that have persisted despite decades of oil and gas wealth.

Longstanding structural challenges dominated the campaign, with voters frustrated by a widening development gap. At stake is whether Sabah can secure the basic infrastructure and autonomy that have eluded residents for decades.

"Sabah is still the poorest state in Malaysia despite being rich in oil and gas," said political analyst Mujibu Abd Muis of Universiti Teknologi MARA. He noted that parties have struggled to convince voters that they can deliver meaningful improvements.

Unreliable water supply, frequent electricity outages and weak connectivity repeatedly dominated campaign events.

For voter Simon Adul, 47, a Sino-Kadazan resident of Kolombong, these shortcomings are central to his decision. He had supported the incumbent state government led by Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), but said little had improved.