Kota kinabalu: Barisan Nasional's (BN) manifesto for the 17th Sabah State Election, titled "Bikin Balik Sabah" (Rebuild Sabah), is set to focus on addressing three critical issues in the state: clean water supply, electricity supply, and road access, announced BN Chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted that the detailed manifesto, which will be unveiled by Sabah BN Chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, also aims to tackle unemployment, attract investment, provide youth housing, and boost the state's economic development. With 17 percent of the youth, amounting to 165,000 individuals, currently unemployed, the manifesto outlines strategies to reduce unemployment, as one in five unemployed persons in Malaysia resides in Sabah.
Ahmad Zahid made these comments after officiating the Sentuhan Kasih Desa@Papar program and the Majlis Khatam Perdana. Also in attendance was the Director-General of the Community Development Department (Kemas), Datuk Mohd Hanafiah Man. As the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, Ahmad Zahid mentioned that addressing the unemployment issue will involve creating a new education ecosystem centered around Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
He expressed hope that TVET would be emphasized in Sabah, allowing local youth to secure employment within the state through industries developed via new investments. He noted that over 300,000 Sabah residents are currently in Pasir Gudang, and more than 250,000 are in the Klang Valley, suggesting that these individuals could significantly contribute to Sabah's development if job opportunities were available locally.
Discussing the strategy for the manifesto's announcement, Ahmad Zahid explained that although the document was prepared before nomination day, its launch was strategically scheduled after the first week of campaigning to ensure maximum media coverage.
BN is contesting 45 out of the 73 State Legislative Assembly (DUN) seats in this election, including seats in the Papar Parliament area. The Election Commission (SPR) has scheduled early voting for November 25 and the main polling day for November 29.