The proposed 48 seats Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) plans to contest in the state election is not final, according to BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The figure remains a proposal, he said.
Zahid stated the number was based on Sabah BN’s internal projections, but the final decision would depend on the coalition’s overall strategy.
“I hear clearly the request from UMNO and Sabah BN to contest 48 seats, that’s their proposal,” he said when met by reporters in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday.
“But as national BN chairman, we give autonomy to UMNO and Sabah BN. They have their own calculations. Still, we must be realistic, we will only field candidates in winnable seats,” he stressed.
He said the party’s vetting process was already underway, with between three and five potential names submitted for each constituency. He added that the final list would be reviewed jointly by BN headquarters and the Sabah leadership before being made public.
“We will look first at the level of winnability. Only seats with strong chances will be finalised,” he said.
Regarding Sabah BN’s electoral partner, Pakatan Harapan (PH), which is eyeing about 23 seats, Zahid said both coalitions had already reached an understanding to prevent seat clashes. However, he noted that PH was still holding discussions with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to finalise its own contest list.
“That’s outside our scope,” Zahid said when asked about PH’s seat targets.
Sabah BN chairman Bung Moktar recently announced plans to contest at least 48 seats following the party’s first meeting held earlier this week.
