SILAM CANDIDATE'S WITHDRAWAL MINIMISES CLASH, IMPROVES CHANCES OF VICTORY - SAIFUDDIN NASUTION

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- The decision by Pakatan Harapan's (PH) candidate for the Silam seat, Abdul Halim Sidek Gulam Hassan, to withdraw from contesting the 17th Sabah State Election was made to minimise clashes and improve the chances of victory for a coalition partner.

PH Secretary-General, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, said the move also demonstrates the commitment to prioritising electoral success over merely contesting as many seats as possible.

"At the very least, we (PH) have managed to minimise one clash, even though the candidate had already submitted his nomination papers.

"I would like to thank the candidate for agreeing to do so after we had discussions. This is proof that we are trying to improve the chances of victory for our ally," he told reporters at a meet and greet session with Thonny Chee, the PH candidate for the Api-Api state seat, here today.

Earlier, Sabah PKR Leadership Council chairman Datuk Mustapha Sakmud announced that Abdul Halim's withdrawal from the state polls followed discussions with the top PH leadership.

The Silam seat, one of four within the Lahad Datu parliamentary constituency, alongside Tungku, Segama, and Kunak, is now set to witness an eight-cornered contest to win the support of its 28,261 registered voters.

Regarding PH's manifesto, Saifuddin Nasution said it will be finalised shortly, given that the campaign period for the state polls has only just begun.

"PH is contesting in less than one-third of the 73 seats in this Sabah State Election. Therefore, in terms of the manifesto, our platform is to be a crucial strategic partner in the formation of the state government," he said.

The Election Commission has set Nov 29 as the polling day, with early voting on Nov 25.  For the latest news on the 17th Sabah State Election, please visit https://prn.bernama.com/sabah/index.php.

-- BERNAMA