Now is the time to show I can be like my father, says Vivian Wong

SANDAKAN POLLS | In an emotional ceramah last night, DAP candidate for Sandakan Vivian Wong touched on how much her late father and incumbent MP Stephen Wong meant to her and to the people of the coastal town.

"Over the last few days, I have been going to every house and residential area to meet with the people of Sandakan.

"A lot of families held my hand, and told me what my late father did for them, and I am very touched," she said, visibly holding back tears.

"Even though I was smiling on the outside, my heart was crying on the inside, because we have lost such a great leader in Sandakan.

"If I had a choice, I would have preferred if it was my father Stephen standing on this stage tonight, but because he worked too hard, he has already left us."

Vivian was selected by her party to run for the parliamentary seat, which was left vacant with Stephen's death on March 28.

She went on to tell the ceramah crowd that now is not the time to cry, but time to show Sandakan that she can be like her father and serve the people with the same degree of conviction.

'Don't look back'

Though her opponents have criticised the 30-year-old's inexperience, Vivian said that an elected representative needs more than just experience.

If the previous government had been sincere about serving the people, she said, it would not have been overthrown in last year's landmark general election.

Vivian admitted to being somewhat impatient, and said she often asked her father about the criticisms levelled against Pakatan Harapan since the 14th general election held last May, as she wanted to see a change in Sandakan occur as quickly as possible.

She recounted him saying that the people chose Harapan as their ship to steer them into the future, but did not expect there to be so many obstacles in the way – namely, the problems left behind by the previous administration. 

Despite these difficulties, Vivian said, Harapan remains determined to work hard for the sake of the people.

"We need to realise that our choice on May 9 (2018) was the right choice, and we need to be determined to walk into the future together, and not look back to the past."

On May 11, Vivian will face off against Parti Bersatu Sabah's Linda Tsen and three independents – Chia Siew Yung, Hamzah Abdullah and Sulaiman Abdul Samad.

The Sandakan electorate is made up of 51 percent Chinese voters, 26 percent bumiputera, 16 percent Malay and seven percent others. - Mkini