Calls for a re-vote and formal protests are emerging from within Sabah PKR following last week’s divisional polls, with state party chief Datuk Mustapha Sakmud now urging disgruntled candidates to direct their complaints through internal channels.
His statement comes ahead of a Central Leadership Council meeting on April 23, where the party is set to hear explanations from the Central Election Committee (JPP) regarding the conduct of the 2025 party elections nationwide.
“If there are candidates in Sabah who are unhappy with the results, they must use the party’s process to raise their grievances,” Mustapha said in a statement from Kota Kinabalu on Monday.
“We are committed to integrity and will ensure any valid concerns are examined through the proper mechanisms.”
Mustapha, who also serves as Deputy Higher Education Minister, held onto his Kota Belud division post with 1,405 votes, defeating Modily Bangali (100) and Azhrie Jenaim (67).
Not all candidates were satisfied with the outcome of the party divisional polls.
In Lahad Datu, 24-year-old Mohd Syafiq Iqhmal Saharudin is demanding a complete re-election for the Silam division.
The candidate claims his name was wrongly listed as “withdrawn” during polling, leading to confusion among voters and casting a shadow over the process.
“I’m calling for the election results to be frozen until a full investigation is completed.
“This error not only affected me, but undermines voter confidence in the entire system,” he said.
He also alleged irregularities in the vote count, citing a 60-vote discrepancy between the number of ballots issued and those tallied.
Sabah PKR secretary Sazalye Donol Abdullah is preparing to lodge an official protest after his defeat in Kota Marudu to PKR Youth Chief Zaidi Jatil.
Sazalye, a special officer to the Chief Minister, has publicly criticised the party’s online voting system, describing it as opaque and poorly supervised.
“I’ve warned about this before. The tallying process was done without witnesses, and grassroots concerns have been sidelined,” he said.
Both candidates maintain that their objections are not motivated by personal loss but by broader concerns over transparency and accountability in the party’s internal election process. – April 21, 2025
