MCA to field young candidates in Sabah election, says sec-gen

He said the party had academically qualified and experienced people to offer as candidates.

"We have new faces for the state election this time. (It) depends on how many seats we get. Then we will decide who should represent us (Barisan Nasional)," he told a media conference after attending an MCA conference on Sabah politics and election, here.

Chong said he hoped that the allocation of seats could be finalised soon.

He said MCA had discussed the matter with the other Sabah BN component parties.

In the 14th General Election, in 2018, the MCA contested in the Luyang and Kepayan state seats but lost in both.

Chong said the MCA has had a presence in Sabah for almost 30 years and the party does not want to be seen as one from the peninsula anymore.

"What is important is that the party can serve the people and is led by local leaders. We want local leaders to lead Sabah MCA in the interests of Sabah because we want the people of Sabah to enjoy development derived from the natural resources in the state," he said.