NOMINATION Day for the 17th Sabah General Election (PRN 17) began in spirited fashion as supporters thronged Dewan Sri Sulaman from as early as 6am, accompanying candidates vying for the four state seats of Sulaman, Pantai Dalit, Tamparuli and Kiulu.
More than 20 candidates are expected to submit their papers when the centre opens at 9am.
Among the first to arrive was caretaker Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is defending the Sulaman seat under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) banner.
He was joined by GRS information chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai for Kiulu, Datuk Jasnih Daya for Pantai Dalit, and Dr Bonaventure Boniface, the coalition’s new candidate for Tamparuli in place of former Rural Development Minister Datuk Jahid Jahim.
Joniston and Jasnih are incumbent assemblymen, while Dr Bonaventure makes his electoral debut. Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Madius Tangau is also filing his nomination for Tamparuli under the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO).
Competition is set to be intense across all four constituencies, each expected to attract between five and seven candidates, with more possible should independent contenders emerge.
As of yesterday, Tamparuli had seven interested candidates, followed by Kiulu and Pantai Dalit with six each, while five candidates are expected to stand in Sulaman.
Sulaman, Hajiji’s stronghold since 1990, will feature a challenge from Barisan Nasional’s (BN) new candidate, Dr Shahrin Rizal Thajuddin, alongside Warisan’s Mokthar Hussin, Perikatan Nasional’s Datin Tiaminah Ele and Parti Impian Sabah’s (PIS) Pajudin Nordin.
Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is expected at Dewan Maksak to accompany BN candidates for the Karambunai and Darau seats. Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang will also be present at Dewan Maksak to support Perikatan Nasional candidates.
BN is contesting directly against GRS only in Sulaman and Pantai Dalit, where Alfian Sambas has been named the coalition’s candidate
In Kiulu and Tamparuli, GRS is expected to face strong opposition from Warisan, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), UPKO, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) and PIS.
The morning’s atmosphere was heightened by more than 1,000 GRS supporters who accompanied the coalition’s four candidates on foot from the Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Sulaman office, marching nearly one kilometre to the nomination centre to the beat of kompang.
Supporters had gathered at the Tuaran field grandstand from before sunrise, with authorities maintaining order throughout.
Hajiji, Joniston and Jasnih each seek to defend the seats they have held for decades, three terms and one term respectively, while Dr Bonaventure aims to retain the Tamparuli seat for GRS.
BN candidates Alfian Sambas and Dr Shahrin Rizal Thajuddin arrived shortly after, accompanied by hundreds of supporters, greeting well-wishers before entering the centre.
Candidates from Warisan, UPKO, PIS, Perikatan Nasional (PN), STAR and KDM also made their arrivals, each backed by sizeable groups of supporters.
With nomination scheduled between 9am and 10am, several constituencies in Tuaran and the wider region are set for multi-cornered races, some expected to develop into seven-cornered fights as the day progresses.
With nominations taking place between 9 am and 10 am, several constituencies are expected to see intense competition, with some potentially featuring at least seven-cornered contests - November 15, 2025
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