KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 – Electoral watchdog Bersih has today urged Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to announce the dissolution date of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly early to facilitate election preparations.

In a statement, Bersih said an early announcement would allow Sabahans residing outside the state to plan their return home to vote. It would also give the Election Commission (EC), security agencies, and political parties ample time to make necessary logistical and campaign preparations.

“The absence of a clear election date makes it difficult for voters residing outside Sabah to plan their travel, particularly those who need to book flight tickets in advance to avoid exorbitant fares.

“Airfares can reach thousands of ringgit, and many face difficulties returning to vote due to high travel costs and constraints on taking leave from work or studies,” it said in a statement here.

Bersih said proactive measures to increase voter turnout and ensure that Sabahans living outside the state are not disenfranchised.

The group highlighted the low voter turnout in previous elections, noting that only about 66 per cent of Sabahans voted in the 15th Sabah state election.

It cited findings from think tank Institut Darul Ehsan showing similarly low turnout among young voters in the 15th general election (GE15), with just 56 per cent of those aged between 18 and 24 and 54.4 per cent of those aged between 25 and 30 casting their ballots.

Bersih said its Election Monitoring Report also found that only 20 out of 925 Sabahan students at Universiti Sains Malaysia managed to return home to vote.

It also cited Deputy Higher Education Minister Mustapha Sakmud who estimated that around 200,000 Sabahans are currently working or studying in Peninsular Malaysia.

“Voting is a fundamental right, and any obstacles to electoral participation must be minimised,” it said.