KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional (BN) will contest the upcoming Sabah state election under its own logo while keeping the door open for collaboration with other political parties, said BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The deputy prime minister and UMNO president emphasised BN’s commitment to open politics, stating that the coalition consistently engages with all parties.
“We hope all discussions will be positive. No door should be left wide open, and no door should be closed completely. This means there is always room for negotiation and engagement,” he told reporters after officiating the Sabah Women Empowerment programme at the Sabah International Convention Centre.
Ahmad Zahid confirmed that BN would use its traditional ‘Dacing’ (scales) symbol but did not rule out working with other coalitions.
“BN will contest under the ‘Dacing’ symbol, but we do not reject collaboration with other political coalitions,” he said.
Present at the event were Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang, MARA chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, and Sabah KEMAS chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
Ahmad Zahid noted that detailed discussions on seat distribution have yet to take place as the Sabah Legislative Assembly has not been dissolved. However, he assured that negotiations would intensify once the election process begins.
“The best way forward is to adopt an open attitude, and of course, it is better to seek more allies than to create adversaries,” he added.
The current five-year term of the Sabah state assembly will expire automatically on October 26, 2025.