KOTA KINABALU, SABAH. MALAYSIA Nov 9, 2025 – Former Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Datuk Ruji Ubi, has been officially announced as the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate for the Merotai State Legislative Assembly (DUN) seat in the 17th Sabah State Election (PRN) scheduled to be held soon. The announcement was made by Prime Minister and PKR President, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as part of Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) strategy to capture more seats in the state.
In his speech at a party event in Tawau recently, Anwar emphasized that Ruji, who is also a former senior civil servant with extensive experience in security administration and national unity, was selected due to his commitment to Sabah’s development. “The Sabah PRN is an important battleground to choose people’s representatives who can voice the people’s concerns, uplift the dignity of Sabahans, and provide a bridge to Putrajaya,” said Anwar, adding that PKR will contest in 10 DUN seats overall.
Ruji, who previously held the position of Secretary General at the Ministry of Home Affairs, expressed his readiness to contest in the Marotai DUN constituency, located in the Tawau Division. He stated, “I am ready to be a bridge for the people of Marotai to Putrajaya, with a focus on infrastructure development, education, and community safety in the area.” The announcement was also confirmed by the PKR Sabah Leadership Committee, which views Ruji as an “aggressive and out-of-the-box thinker” candidate to address the unique challenges in the constituency.
The 17th Sabah PRN is expected to be a fierce contest between the PH-led state government coalition and the opposition, with key issues such as state autonomy, economic development, and Sabah’s native rights taking center stage. PKR, as part of PH, is hoped to attract support from young voters and professionals through experienced candidates like Ruji.
Other PH parties, including DAP and Amanah, are also lined up to contest other seats, while the United Sabah Party (UPKO) has urged respect for Sabah’s autonomy in the logo allocation and candidate selection process. This PKR candidate announcement is expected to heat up the election campaign as it draws nearer, with many voters in Marotai seeing Ruji as a new hope for change.
