SANDAKAN POLLS | The Sandakan by-election took off to a sluggish start, with the major opposition contender, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), only starting its battle on the second day of the campaign for votes.
Nevertheless, the first campaign of the PBS candidate, Linda Tsen (photo, above), was held within a DAP stronghold.
Tsen and her team met with and greeted the voters in Taman Damai and Bandar Kim Fung in the Batu 5, Jalan Utara polling district at 4pm yesterday.
The polling district has 79.47 percent Chinese, 11.5 percent Sabah bumiputera and 5.51 percent Malay.
During GE14, DAP polled 1,246 votes against then BN component party LDP's 156. As such, the area is considered a DAP fortress.
BM and Mandarin pamphlets
Wearing a dark blue cap with her name printed on it, Tsen distributed Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin pamphlets printed on black-and-white A4 paper to the voters.
Most voters were smiling upon receiving the pamphlet while some even went on to chit-chat with Tsen for a few minutes.
Her team members went around placing the pamphlets on the windscreens of parked cars and in mailboxes around the area.
Admitting that Sandakan is DAP's stronghold, the Bahasa Malaysia pamphlet said that Tsen is willing to accept the challenges and to voice out for the voters.
It also promised that should Tsen create an upset, she would focus on the Malaysia Agreement 1963, the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) education loan, the sales and service tax (SST), high cost of living, the abolishment of BR1M, and security and migrant issues, among others.
On the other hand, the Mandarin pamphlet stated that PBS, after the May 9 general election, quit BN to be an independent local party in Sabah, so as to continue to voice out for the people.
It also criticised the Harapan government for not fulfilling its promises and making too many U-turns.
Among them is Putrajaya's refusal to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) on the excuse of “taking care of the feelings of other races”.
The pamphlet also said: “The prices did not go down while the people are suffering from price hikes and higher cost of living. This is contributed by the Pakatan Harapan government.”
As such, the Mandarin pamphlet urged Sandakan voters to elect an opposition member into Dewan Rakyat to bring up local issues and play a check-and-balance role.
Tsen in her campaign yesterday was accompanied by PBS deputy president Yee Moh Chai and vice-president Radin Malleh.
Not familiar with Sandakan
Asked on why her campaign took off later than that of the other candidates, Tsen admitted that PBS did not contest in Sandakan before this and that she herself was not familiar with Sabah's second biggest town.
“In fact, I used to be in Batu Sapi, so of course I know that area very well. In the past, we all belonged to the BN and Sandakan has always been an LDP seat.
“That's why LDP would know the area very well. I know the Elopura area but not Tanjung Papat. That's why we are a bit late in starting.”
Her main opponent - DAP's Vivian Wong (photo, above) - started her campaign at 3pm last Saturday, the nomination day.
As PBS Elopura branch chief, Tsen started her political career as the MP for Batu Sapi from 2010 to 2018 before she was defeated by Warisan's Liew Vui Keong.
The Batu Sapi seat neighbours Sandakan.
'Liew did the same'
On Liew's criticism of Tsen's move to Sandakan after losing Batu Sapi, Tsen replied Liew did the same.
“He lost in Sandakan and then he came to Batu Sapi and he won. You know. He was Sandakan MP before he lost in the 13th general election. Then he came to Batu Sapi and he won. I lost to him.
“So what do you say? Do we give up just because we lost one time? No, we fight on.”
Apart from Tsen and Wong, there are three independent candidates in the by-election for Sandakan - Hamzah Abdullah, Sulaiman Abdul Samad and Chia Siew Yung.
The Sandakan parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of its incumbent MP, Stephen Wong Tien Fatt, who is Vivian’s father, on March 28.
Early voting is on May 7 while polling day is May 11. - Mkini
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