Kota Kinabalu – A total of 23 registered political parties in Sabah are eligible to compete in the upcoming 17th Sabah State Election (PRN17), according to the Registrar of Societies (RoS).
List of Eligible Parties
The qualifying parties include:
- Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (PPRS)
- Pertubuhan Kinabalu Progresif Bersatu (UPKO)
- Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS)
- Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP)
- Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Sabah Bersatu (USNO)
- Parti Kebangsaan Sabah (PKS)
- Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (ANAK NEGERI)
- Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Parti Gagasan)
- Parti Warisan Sabah (WARISAN)
- Pertubuhan Perpaduan Rakyat Kebangsaan Sabah (PERPADUAN)
- Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS)
- Parti Damai Sabah (SPP)
- Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR SABAH)
- Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (HR)
- Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)
- Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM)
- Parti Impian Sabah (PIS)
- Parti Rumpun Sabah (RUMPUN)
- Parti Gemilang Anak Sabah (GAS)
- Perjuangan Rakyat
- Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS)
- Parti Liberal Demokratik (LDP)
- Parti Bersatu Sasa Malaysia (MUPP)
Three New Parties Under Consideration
RoS Director-General Datuk Mohd Zulfikar Ahmad stated that from 2024 to 2025, 10 applications to establish new parties in Sabah were rejected, while three more are still under review.
"Rejections typically occur due to disorganized party constitutions or failure to pass Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) security screenings," he told Berita Harian.
Sabah’s Political Landscape
The 17th Sabah State Election is expected to be highly competitive, given the large number of registered parties and emerging political alliances.
Current Assembly Composition:
- Government (55 seats): Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), UMNO, and PH
- Opposition (24 seats): Parti Warisan Sabah, some UMNO members, and KDM
Previous Election (PRN16):
- 14 parties contested, including WARISAN, PKR, DAP, UPKO, AMANAH, BERSATU, PBS, STAR SABAH, PAS, BN, and USNO.
Automatic Dissolution on November 11
The Sabah State Legislative Assembly (DUN) will automatically dissolve on November 11, 2024, five years after its first sitting following the 16th Sabah State Election in 2020.