DEPUTY Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has described the upcoming Sabah state election as Umno’s final opportunity to prove its strength before the next general election.

He said the 17th Sabah election will serve as a reflection of the party’s performance heading into the 16th General Election (GE16).

“We are the underdog in Sabah… This is last chance to show that Sabah Umno and Barisan Nasional can do well,” the Umno president told Mingguan Malaysia.

He said no single party is likely to dominate Sabah’s volatile and fragile political landscape, making cooperation essential for any government formation.

Umno and BN, Zahid said, will maintain their alliance with Pakatan Harapan (PH), ensuring no overlapping seats between the two coalitions.

He added that BN is open to collaborating with other groups in Sabah, as “no party can form the government alone”.

Zahid stressed that candidate selection has been completed following background checks by the police, MACC, and other agencies.

The BN chairman said the coalition would prioritise young, female, and grassroots candidates representing Sabah’s ethnic diversity.

He also revealed that the state Umno has full autonomy to choose its candidates and potential chief minister.

On the possibility of working again with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Zahid said the party was open to post-election cooperation despite past betrayals.

Zahid described the state polls as a mirror for BN’s upcoming challenges in Melaka, Johor, and the national election.

“This is not just about Sabah but about proving Umno’s capability nationwide,” he said.

Caretaker chief minister Hajiji Noor dissolved the Sabah assembly on Oct 6 to trigger the 17th state election, which must be held no later than Dec 7.

There are approximately 1.786 million eligible voters, including 662,000 first-time voters.