KOTA BELUD, Nov 20 — Warisan President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal warned that Sabah may one day see up to even 50 candidates contesting a single seat, if the trend of multi-cornered contests continues.

He said while certain quarters, including some among the younger generation may deem it as “democracy at work”, the reality is that people are allowing themselves to be split instead of being united and for others to take advantage.  

The former chief minister was referring to the record 596 candidates taking part in the 17th Sabah Election come Nov 29. Many of the contests involve 10 to 12-cornered fights, with Tulid in the interior registering 14 contenders.

Shafie said having 10 or 11 contenders for a seat reflects a troubling level of fragmentation that could confuse voters and strain family ties.

“Some families are contesting against each other. This will break up families. 

“I experienced this myself when members of my own family contested against me. But now, they are united again under Warisan,” he said.

Shafie said the rise in small parties and independent candidates though not illegal, required serious attention from leaders at all levels to prevent Sabah’s political system from becoming unmanageable.

“If we allow this to continue, it might not stop at 14 candidates. One day we might see 50 people running for one seat, Sabahans must take the initiative to restore unity.”

Shafie also lamented the water, electricity and infrastructure issues in Sabah despite multi-billion-ringgit annual budgets. 

He said Warisan-era measures revitalised tourism, citing a government-backed RM300 million loan to AirAsia, which resulted in direct international flights from China, Korea, Indonesia, Australia and Peninsular Malaysia into Sabah without transits through KLIA.

“I told Tony Fernandes (head of AirAsia), if we lend you money, make sure flights come straight to Kota Kinabalu, Tawau and Sandakan.

“Today, you can see tourists from Korea and beyond filling our hotels and resorts, especially in Semporna, which now has a five-star hotel. Kota Belud still has none,” he said, referring to the constituency being decades under Barisan Nasional.

Shafie claimed Sabah’s economic resources were also not being fully utilised for local benefit, noting that some 300,000 Sabahans had to seek jobs in the peninsula. 

“Furniture factories in Singapore and Johor use timber from Sabah. Yet we (previous state governments) never built these industries here,” he said.

“Warisan established a cooking oil plant in Tawau and planned similar facilities in Pitas, Keningau and Sandakan, though some of these were not continued.

“If Warisan returns to power, it would prioritise industrial development in Sabah to create employment and reduce reliance on external markets,” he said. 

On Warisan’s chances in Kota Belud which has four state seats, Shafie said the party is focusing on fielding younger and fresh faces who represent a new direction for the district.

“In Kota Belud, the time has come for new faces. We cannot depend solely on those who have served far too long but didn’t do much,” he said. 

Shafie highlighted Kota Belud’s strong economic potential, noting its agricultural strengths, padi cultivation history and tourism prospects. 

He recalled past investments worth hundreds of millions of ringgit to support rice-growing activities.

He also spoke of opportunities in aquaculture and crab farming, that these sectors could be expanded significantly with proper support.

“If we form the Government, we will implement key initiatives in this area.

“When industries flourish, job opportunities follow. And when people have jobs, that becomes a major tool in eradicating poverty in Sabah. — Daily Express