Barisan Nasional secretary-general Mohamed Rahmat said he expects the general election to be simultaneously conducted with the Sabah polls early next year to save costs.

"I think not this year but early next year," he told reporters after the opening ceremony of Gerakan's 32 ^nd national delegates conference in Kuala Lumpur.

The mandate of the Sabah state assembly ends on April 12 next year while the current parliamentary term expires in November, also next year.