GE15: can DAP retain its stronghold Sandakan seat?

SANDAKAN – DAP might not be able to win the P186 Sandakan seat comfortably this time even though DAP’s Vivian Wong won it with a 74.15% majority (16,012 votes) during the Sandakan by-election in 2019.   

For one, DAP does not have the support of Warisan this time as it did in 2019.  

Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal told the people here earlier this week that Vivian had allegedly won in 2019 because of him.  

“I was the one who took her to last-minute campaigns in Pulau Berhala, Taman Mesra, and so on. There are no Chinese there, they are mostly Bajau. 

“This time, I will ask them to vote for Warisan,” he said.  

While it may be true that Shafie helped garner Bumiputera support, it does not mean that she would have lost the seat without Shafie.  

Vivian was lucky to “inherit” her late father’s contributions, former Sandakan MP from 2013 to 2019, Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt. Those who were indebted to Stephen’s contributions over the years are likely to support Vivian now.  

But after Vivian became MP, she built her reputation as one of the most hardworking politicians in Sandakan, and her activities focused mainly on “personal touch” events involving smaller crowds – such as visits to homes of the needy.  

Vivian has also been organising programmes targeting the youth, such as basketball, lion dance, futsal, and rugby tournaments, among others.  

While this might attract the younger voters regardless of race and religion, it is still difficult to capture the hearts of the older generation who are more knowledgeable about politics, government policies, and particularly, the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).  

Warisan support  

Warisan, which was seen campaigning and highlighting MA63 rights, has fielded a fresh candidate in Sandakan – Alex Thien Ching Qiang, 31, who holds a master’s degree in renewable energy and chemical engineering from Newcastle University, United Kingdom.  

Thien’s talks revolve around his plans to generate electricity in Sandakan, which is currently supplied from Sabah’s West Coast. He claims to have a viable plan ready to go, involving generating more electricity from the existing 70 palm oil mills in Sandakan from empty fruit bunches.  

He said he aims to stop frequent power disruptions in Sandakan, which have been one of the factors preventing investors from coming here.  

Unlike PH and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Warisan is going solo in this election, which means Thien has no support from other parties. He is relying on the support of existing assemblymen – Calvin Chong (Elopura) and George Hiew (Karamunting).  

Shafie came to support him a day earlier this week, and the venue was packed with over 1,000 attendees. However, it is hard to conclude if Shafie’s one-day presence in Sandakan is enough to help Thien secure the seat.  

GRS candidate  

GRS candidate Lau Chi Keong @ Thomas Lau cannot be underestimated. Not only does he have the support of the whole party – Sabah Progressive Party as the party’s sole candidate in this election, he also has full support from other component parties in GRS – Parti Bersatu Sabah, Sabah STAR, Sabah Bersatu, and United Sabah National Organisation.  

Lau, 73, promotes himself as a government servant retiree who allegedly knows the ins and outs of the government structure, system, and protocols. These allow him to solve problems involving infrastructure and basic facilities faster than anyone else.  

He is also a prominent businessman in Sandakan and has the skills, ideas, and contacts needed to develop Sandakan’s economy, which is what the constituency needs the most.  

A walk around Sandakan town now would make one see that GRS’ campaign materials outshine other parties with more flags and bigger posters.  

Lau was appointed the Chinese Community Leader or Kapitan for Tg Papat (a state constituency in Sandakan) and has been known to be bold and quick to act on issues around here.  

Lau said his method is to “work with them” (civil servants) instead of “scolding them”.  

“I know the trick to make them work faster. I know how it goes. I was once a civil servant,” he said in his campaign talk recently.  

Independent power  

Known by the locals as the former Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC) president from 2018 to 2019, Datuk Peter Hii Chang Lik surprised locals by appearing on nomination day, contesting the Sandakan seat as an independent candidate.  

Hii is a wealthy and successful businessman who owns several plots of land and palm oil estates, and people know that he is not in it for the money. 

He once told the press that he became poorer as SMC president as he had used his own money to solve many complaints.  

People who would vote for Hii would be those who remember how efficient SMC became when he was the president.  

At the time, Hii was known to be outspoken and brave in making major decisions, transforming SMC’s structure. For instance, he limited SMC’s staff coffee break time and let go of underperforming staff.  

He would also personally monitor each staff’s performance closely, making sure SMC staff performed their duties well and kept the people of Sandakan happy.  

SMC became highly efficient and Sandakan town was very clean when Hii was president.  

However, whether his contributions are sufficient for him to win the Sandakan seat is doubtful.  

In his campaign poster, Hii said he decided to contest because he owes it to Sandakan, the very place that had made him a successful businessman. He said he has reached a stage in life where he wants to give back, and he feels sad and sorry to see the state of the economy in Sandakan now.  

“I am not young anymore. I want to serve Sandakan for the rest of my life,” he said. 

With tough opponents from GRS, Warisan, as well as independent Peter Hii, Vivian may not be able to rest for even a minute during this 14-day campaign period to ensure she retains the votes she once won.  

Sandakan seat has 55,514 registered voters and is seen as a stronghold for DAP with the party also winning both state seats in the constituency – Elopura and Tg Papat.  

Sandakan currently consists of 58% Bumiputera and 42% Chinese voters. – The Vibes, November 12, 2022