SHAH ALAM : The 27th convocation of Universiti Malaysia Sabah scheduled for November 29 will not clash with voting for Sabah’s 17th State Election on the same day. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stated the Election Commission considered all relevant factors before setting the election date. He confirmed university halls will not be used as polling stations and the schedule accommodates the upcoming Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia exams starting November 3. The Barisan Nasional chairman also noted that many students are from other states so the convocation will not affect voter turnout. “Parents attending the convocation are not solely from Sabah,” he told reporters at the ASEAN Sports Industry Expo 2025 here. Ahmad Zahid explained that UMS students come from all over Malaysia so he does not foresee any issue arising from this. The 27th UMS convocation for the 2025 graduates is scheduled from November 29 to December 2. On the postponement of UMNO’s 2025 General Assembly, Ahmad Zahid said party secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has contacted the Registrar of Societies for approval. “This is the second postponement,” he explained. The assembly was originally set for August and then November 26 but has been rescheduled to January next year due to the Sabah state election polling on November 29. The Election Commission has set November 15 as nomination day and November 25 for early voting for the Sabah state election. Seventy three state seats across 25 parliamentary constituencies will be contested in the election. – Bernama