KOTA KINABALU: As Sabah prepares for its 17th State Election (PRN17), the Vote WiselyMovement is calling on the Election Commission (Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya, SPR) to extend postal voting (Undi Pos) to Sabahans working and studying in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
The move the team says is crucial to ensuring every Sabahan has a voice in deciding the future of their homeland.
Every election, the same painful reality repeats itself: ‘Thousands of Sabahans living outside the state are unable to return home to vote’.
Some are students struggling to save for a single flight ticket, and others are frontliners, factory workers, or service staff who cannot afford to take days off work.
“All of them share one thing in common — a deep love for Sabah, and a growing frustration that the system makes it nearly impossible for them to participate in shaping its future.
“If Sabahans can serve, study, and build Malaysia from every corner of the country, they should also have the right to help decide Sabah’s future —no matter where they are,” said Angie S. Chin, from Vote WiselyMovement.
According to recent reports, over 200,000 Sabahans currently live, work, or study outside Sabah and more than 55% of Sabah’s registered voters are youth aged 18–39 —many among those living in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
However, under current regulations, postal voting is limited only to:• Members of the security forces (army and police), and• Malaysians living in Overseas.This means ordinary Sabahans temporarily residing in other states are denied a fundamental democratic right.
“We talk about empowering youth and building a new Sabah,” said Angie,“but many young Sabahans are still denied the most basic power of all —the power to vote,” she said.
The Vote Wisely Movement believes that SPR can make postal voting accessible without compromising transparency or logistics.
The group proposes three practical steps – Digital Pre-Registration for Out-of-State Sabahans eligible voters can apply through MySPR or designated state liaison offices, verified using their IC address, employer, or university confirmation.- Designated Ballot Centres in Major Cities Establish official collection and drop-off points in Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Kuching, and Penang, managed in collaboration with Sabahan associations, universities, and NGOs, under SPR’s supervision and Pilot Programme for PRN17Implement a limited pilot system during PRN17 to test and refine postal voting for broader use in future elections.
“If we can bank, study, and work online — surely we can find a way to let Sabahans vote safely and fairly from where they are,” Angie added.
“Let Sabahans Vote” movement is non-partisan — driven not by political agendas but by the belief in equal rights, dignity, and democracy.It calls on all leaders, regardless of party, to support the extension of Undi Pos for the sake of fairness and inclusion.
“Voting is not a privilege. It’s a right,” Angie emphasized.
“Let PRN17 be remembered as the election where Sabah finally ensured that no Sabahan is silenced, no youth is excluded, and no worker is forgotten — simply because they are away from home.
.The public can support this movement by signing and sharing the petition: https://c.org/n659HrNM6WTogether, let’s make history — Let Sabahans vote, wherever we are.
