Will Harapan finally redeem itself in Sandakan?

SANDAKAN POLLS | The pressure is on for DAP to break Pakatan Harapan’s three by-election losing streak by pulling off a convincing victory in Sandakan.

Standing in their way is Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), which was once a local political juggernaut that ruled the state for two terms, now reduced to just one MP and five state lawmakers.

Realistically, most locals do not expect PBS to cause an upset. Coffeeshop talk is rife with how bookmakers are heavily favouring DAP to win with a thumping majority.

DAP has the advantage of incumbency because its candidate Vivian Wong, 30, is no stranger to locals, having served as the local troubleshooter while representing her late father Stephen, who is a two-term Sandakan MP.

Her campaign team is well organised with frequent media appearances, all executed under the watchful eye of DAP’s top dog Lim Kit Siang, who has been with the campaign throughout.

Vivian also has the advantage of a long list of senior cabinet members flying in from Putrajaya to promise various economic and infrastructure plans aimed at helping Sandakan, which was once capital of British North Borneo, restore her past glory.

For instance, Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok announced during the start of the campaign that Putrajaya was lifting taxes on crude palm oil exports from May 1 to Dec 31.

Although this was not solely aimed at the by-election, since it would benefit industry players nationwide, incumbency meant DAP could inject some “feel-good” measures into its campaign that the opposition cannot offer.

PBS and their allies are branding their candidate Linda Tsen, 63, as a means of check-and-balance. Tsen is a former music teacher and has been a two-term MP for Batu Sapi.

Publicly, Tsen is polite, reserved and not much of a public speaker. Some voters she met told Malaysiakini that the candidate appeared indifferent when compared to the vivacious and more youthful Vivian.

The PBS campaign has noticeably been less about Tsen’s merits than about picking at Harapan’s weaknesses.

One highlight of the campaign has been the tit-for-tat between DAP and PBS over the latter's billboard that was taken down by the authorities at the start of the campaign, after it was pointed out that the content was based on an erroneous news report.

PBS did not relent even after the news source admitted the error, prompting an argument through a series of banners at the site of the billboard - which is located in a prominent part of town.

PBS officials told Malaysiakini that this was a necessary part of their messaging strategy to showcase their ability to provide check-and-balance.

Also hampering PBS’ campaign was the fact that it is low on resources and this is evident in irs antiquated monochrome flyers, contrasted against DAP’s brightly-coloured campaign materials.

Tsen’s roadside posters are also designed in a style which are no longer fashionable in peninsular Malaysia.

PBS’ campaign is also hampered by the fact that its president Maximus Ongkili - who is the second most well-known face in the party after Joseph Pairin Kitingan - was less active in the first week of campaign due to a death in the family.

Umno to the rescue?

While DAP had control of the campaign narrative over the first week, the second week saw PBS receiving backup from former allies Umno and even an MP from PAS.

During the past three by-elections, the new Umno-PAS axis was able to prove its potency but is of little relevance in Sabah.

Remnants of Sabah Umno such as Bung Moktar Radin, Pandikar Amin Mulia and Abdul Rahman Dahlan are the ones making regular appearances during the second half of the campaign, with little help from their counterparts in peninsular Malaysia, aside from an appearance from Umno acting president Mohamad Hasan in one ceramah.

Their focus has been on the bumiputera voters, who make up nearly half the Sandakan electorate.

The DAP campaign, however, has been bolstered by its new ally Mohd Shafie Apdal, who could make a better connection with the local bumiputera community through his command of Bajau than his former Umno colleagues.

Shafie, who is also Sabah chief minister, has primarily been deployed in the only two polling districts where BN managed to win in Sandakan in the previous general election, drawing large crowds and receiving rockstar treatments.

In these parts of Malaysia, stories about 1MDB or Najib Razak’s indulgences have little traction. Instead, Shafie and his cohorts can only rely on promises of what New Malaysia has to offer.

With just 24 hours to go, there is little evidence to suggest that the losing streak won’t be broken.

There were no string of gaffes or an aggressive Umno-PAS assault as seen during the past three by-elections.

Given its advantages in this campaign, only a landslide victory for DAP will help redeem Harapan’s stature on the national level.

- Mkini