The Malaysian Insight

FORMER Batu Sapi MP Linda Tsen will be Parti Bersatu Sabah’s (PBS) candidate for the Sandakan by-election on May 11, party president Maximus Ongkili said today. 

Ongkili said the party is confident of creating an upset in Sandakan after assessing the situation there. 

“We are a multi-racial party. We have been steadfast on Sabah rights and our priorities are Sabah for the Sabahans first,” he said at a press conference at the PBS Elopura office in Sandakan.

Pakatan Harapan has chosen to field Vivian Wong of DAP.

Nomination for the Sandakan by-election is tomorrow while polling is on May 11.

The Sandakan federal seat fell vacant following the death of its incumbent, Stephen Wong Thien Fatt of DAP on March 28 due to heart attack. Vivian is Wong’s daughter.

Ongkili said PBS is entering the race because the party is confident of a win.

He also said the party had the backing of United Sabah National Organisation, Sabah Progressive Party, Sabah Umno and other state opposition parties.

“We are not in this to lose, but we are leaving it to the people in Sandakan to decide.

“The sentiments are good (for PBS). People are saying we are the underdog, but that is all right.”

Also present were PBS information chief Joniston Bangkuai, secretary Johnny Mositun and youth chief Jahid Jahim.  

Ongkili said Sabah is faced with unemployment, slump in palm oil prices, illegal immigrants, state rights and security concerns.  

He added the government has broken its promise to deal with these issues since taking over last year after the general election.  

Ongkili also took a swipe at Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng who announced 49 projects valued at RM2.28 billion for Sandakan, including the airport runway upgrades.

He added all these projects were announced by the previous Barisan Nasional government.

He said federal funds would not be available if not for the work of Tsen and Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin who kept raising the issue in Parliament.

On DAP, Ongkili said PBS has expected the party to field the late MP’s daughter but the constituency needs an experienced leader like Tsen.

Tsen meanwhile said she will work hard to win the by-election, adding that she wished Vivian “all the best”.  

Tsen, 63, was Batu Sapi MP from 2010 to 2018.

She first won the seat in an by-election in November 2010 following the death of its incumbent Edmund Chong Ket Wah, who was also her husband. – April 26, 2019