KOTA KINABALU: Sayang Sabah Community Club deputy president Steve Johnny Mositun (
pic) has voiced concern that the latest line-up for the 17th Sabah Election reflects a political landscape that still falls short of representing young Sabahans.
He said it was troubling that only eight candidates were below the age of thirty despite youths making up nearly half the electorate and carrying what he described as the “weight of Sabah’s future on their shoulders.”
Steve also highlighted that the participation of just over seventy women candidates statewide showed that “our mothers, daughters, and sisters remain under-represented in the very institutions that shape their daily lives.”
He said the imbalance did not indicate a lack of capable young leaders or women, but reflected political structures that were “still slow to recognise new voices and diverse strengths.”
Steve said young Sabahans are educated, resilient, and active in community work, yet often remain on the sidelines instead of being entrusted with meaningful leadership roles.
He added that women continued to be the backbone of communities and deserved space to “lead from the front in shaping policy and governance” as Sabah faced a crucial electoral moment.
He urged political parties to treat the imbalance as a wake-up call and said a more inclusive candidate slate would help build a government that understood the realities of both the youth and the families they would one day lead.
