Puteri Umno Ready for Sabah State Election, Focuses on Young and Local Candidates
“We want the best — not just for the party, but also for Sabah.”
KUALA LUMPUR — Puteri Umno chief Datuk Nurul Amal Mohd Fauzi said the party’s women youth wing is fully prepared to face the upcoming Sabah state election (PRN Sabah), expressing confidence that the party leadership will give opportunities to young and local candidates to contest.
She said Umno is closely monitoring the current political landscape and will make its decisions as the state election approaches.
“We don’t really know what will happen yet. But Umno wants what’s best — not only for the party, but for Sabah as well. We’ll wait for the Election Commission’s announcement,” she said.
According to Nurul Amal, Puteri Umno has proposed several names from among its young leaders in Sabah to be considered by the party leadership as potential candidates.
“We have identified candidates from Puteri Umno who we believe can best represent the party. Puteri Sabah has submitted the list to the leadership for evaluation.
In previous state elections, the party has never sidelined young candidates — whether from Pemuda (Youth) or Puteri,” she said.
She added that out of 25 Puteri Umno leaders in Sabah, about 35% have the potential to be fielded, focusing on those under the age of 40.
Nurul Amal said Puteri Umno’s machinery is now active across the state, focusing particularly on young female voters, estimated at around 130,000 aged between 18 and 40.
“Our first task is to study how young women can be attracted to the party’s struggle. Young voters are the key — they are where the political wave in Sabah begins and ends,” she explained.
Commenting on political cooperation, Nurul Amal said Sabah’s political dynamics differ greatly from those in Peninsular Malaysia and are often unpredictable.
“In Sabah, multi-cornered contests — two or even three-way fights — are normal. Each party has its own strategy, but I believe the people of Sabah can evaluate what’s best for them,” she said.
Nurul Amal added that Barisan Nasional (BN) might not contest in all seats and will assess its options based on what benefits the party most.
“BN is an old and established party in Sabah. It’s still well known among the people. Despite the challenges of the past two general elections, I believe many Sabahans still have affection for BN and will give us another chance,” she said.
Touching on local issues such as water supply and state governance, Nurul Amal advised voters not to be swayed by unrealistic promises.
“I don’t understand how some can promise the moon and the stars, yet nothing is delivered. I hope Sabahans won’t fall for broken promises. Trust BN — we don’t just make promises; we deliver results,” she stressed.
Nurul Amal described the upcoming Sabah state election as a “national political benchmark”, which could offer insights into the coming state elections in Melaka and Johor.
“The Sabah PRN will be very interesting. It could serve as a starting point for other political parties to gauge their strength ahead of the Melaka and Johor polls,” she said.
She added that BN is expected to contest under its traditional logo, though any cooperation with other parties will only be decided after the Election Commission (EC) announces the official dates.
“For now, BN will use its own logo. GRS remains uncertain, and Warisan’s position is also unclear. Sometimes decisions change before nomination day,” she said.
Nurul Amal expressed confidence that both central and state leadership will make the best decisions to ensure political stability and the well-being of Sabah’s people.