KOTA KINABALU, Nov 27 — Youth voters are widely seen as one of the most influential blocs in Sabah’s state election, but a number of young Sabahans — both in and out of the state — will not be casting their ballots on Saturday.
For 28-year-old Nick, the disappointment is especially bitter.
After waiting most of his life to obtain Malaysian citizenship, he will now be waiting again to cast his vote.
The son of a Kadazan mother and British father, Nick was born in the UK but grew up in Sabah.
He attended primary and secondary school here and spent all but four years in his mother’s hometown.
He willingly gave up his British citizenship in 2023 to become Malaysian, finally received his MyKad, and had been looking forward to voting in his first-ever state election this year.
However, a few weeks ago, when checking for his polling station, he discovered that his name, while listed on the electoral roll, had no assigned polling district — effectively excluding him from voting.
A check with the Election Commission (EC) revealed a trail of administrative gaps that has yet to be answered.
Normally, those who turn 18 are automatically added under Undi18, but Nick’s name was only entered into the EC system on August 20, 2025.
According to the EC officer handling his case, the entry was still before the August 31, 2025 cut-off date, meaning he should have been eligible to vote.
Young Sabahans kept away for a range of reasons
Across Sabah and beyond, other young Sabahans will also be absent from polling day for different reasons.
Polling day controversially coincided with Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s annual convocation ceremony, meaning many students — possibly in the thousands — will likely miss out on voting.
Although the university pushed the ceremony back by one day, many students said they had already purchased flight tickets and booked accommodation for the weekend.
A student who wanted to be known only as Daniel said that even though it was technically possible to vote and drive up from his hometown on the same day, it would be a “hassle” to navigate the weekend traffic and rush to the city.
“But other students don’t have the option as they had already planned ahead and pre-booked their accommodation and flights,” he said.
“Many other classmates also would rather go ahead with their plans, as the weekend was already planned and many would not be willing to give it up.”
In Kuala Lumpur, junior engineer Mohd Hafizi Azrul, 29, said returning home was financially out of reach.
“I could have done it, but flights, taking extra days off, thinking about my wife and child… in the end it was too much,” he said.
“We’ll save our leave for Hari Raya instead.”
Another Sabahan in KL, postgraduate researcher Harjinder Kler, said this would be the first time he is not voting at home.
“It’s not extremely expensive — maybe RM600 return — but still a lot for just a weekend,” he said.
“And honestly, I don’t see much point this time.”
From Tawau, 21-year-old student Dayang Diana Nordin said her family simply could not spare the extra money to send her home from the state capital where she is studying.
“It’s disappointing, but my parents said we have to prioritise expenses,” she said.
Polling day also coincides with the start of the SPM written examinations on November 25, leaving a select number of 18-year-old students who entered through bridge classes likely missing out on voting for the first time.
A decisive bloc whose turnout remains low
Youths under 30 make up a significant share of voters in all 73 state seats except Api Api.
They account for between 17 per cent in Likas and 41 per cent in Karambunai.
However, turnout among this age group is generally low, hovering around 54 per cent in 2020 and 56 per cent in 2022, compared to higher averages among older voters.
Observers say this is not a matter of apathy.
Many Sabahans aged 18 to 29 live, study or work outside the state, making flights home costly, while Sabah’s long distances and limited transportation options hit rural youths the hardest.
In Nick’s case, administrative issues — such as misassigned localities, delayed roll updates or unresolved citizenship statuses — have left some eligible voters off the ballot entirely.
Youth and advocacy groups like Bersih and the Sabah Action Body Advocating Rights (SABAR) have long called for more inclusive mechanisms to make voting easier.
They have urged subsidised travel schemes, postal voting for Sabahans living in Peninsular Malaysia, and early-voting options for out-of-state youths.
While some political parties do “sponsor” flights and accommodation to help supporters return home to vote, the practice relies on personal networks rather than policy and tends to favour those with access to resources.
As Sabah heads into a tightly contested state election, the absence of thousands of young voters will almost certainly prove consequential.
For Nick, the exclusion adds to his frustration. Cases like his could fuel the growing discontent among young voters.
“I wanted to kick off my future as a Malaysian by voting,” he said.
“But instead, it feels like the system just didn’t want to let me in.”