Sabah polls new normal of M'sian politics - Gerakan president

The unprecedented number of multi-cornered contests in the 16th Sabah state election has heralded a new normal in Malaysian politics, said Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai.

“We can see that this election is fiercely contested and there are no straight fights. There is even one seat (Bengkoka) with 11 candidates. This is the new normal in the Malaysian political landscape.

"We will use this new landscape (as a guide) for our preparation for the 15th general election,” he told a press conference after chairing the Gerakan central committee meeting here today.

Asked on news reports concerning Gerakan’s intention to join Perikatan Nasional (PN), Lau said: “Wait for the announcement.”

A total of 447 candidates, including 56 independents, are vying for the 73 seats in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly this time around, compared to 252 candidates for 60 seats in the last general election in 2018.