KOTA KINABALU – The 17th Sabah State Election has seen five independent candidates, including an incumbent, leading in different constituencies despite competition from major party coalitions, according to unofficial results as of 11pm.
Among the constituencies, Bandau, Kukusan and Tulid feature four new independent faces, while Pintasan sees incumbent Datuk Fairuz Renddan returning to contest and retaining his seat.
Datuk Fairuz Renddan, a former GRS youth chief, secured his second consecutive victory in Pintasan, defeating influential political figure and former Dewan Rakyat speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, who represented Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
“This win confirms Fairuz’s continued support in Pintasan, as he also defeated Pandikar in the 2020 State Election,” the unofficial results showed.
The 17th Sabah State Election recorded a remarkable 74 independent candidates contesting across the state, one of the highest numbers in recent history.
In the 2020 Election, 56 independents contested with only three emerging victorious by narrow margins in the Kuamut, Pitas and Kemabong State Legislative Assemblies.
Datuk Masiung Banah retained his seat in Kuamut with 2,802 votes and a majority of 978 votes, defeating candidates from Barisan Nasional (BN), Upko, PCS and PGRS.
Previously, he won the same seat on a BN ticket with a larger majority.
In Pitas, independent candidate Ruddy Awah triumphed with 2,918 votes and a 599-vote majority over candidates from BN, Warisan Sabah and smaller parties.
In Kemabong, Rubin Balang claimed victory with 4,214 votes and a 1,012-vote majority, defeating contenders from Upko, BN and other parties including LDP, PCS and Usno.
The strong showing of independent candidates highlights voter willingness to consider alternatives outside traditional party lines.