The Malaysian Insight

DAP’S resounding victory in the Sandakan by-election may not have been possible without last-minute back-up from ally Parti Warisan Sabah in the Malay-Muslim areas of the constituency.

Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal and his men canvassed for support for Vivian Wong in  Kampung Sim Sim and Pulau Berhala, Malay-majority areas where DAP has no presence at all.

These areas account for 4,000 Malay votes.

Shafie, who is the chief minister, assured the Malay voters that he would address their long-standing complaints, and most appeared to accept his word.

DAP publicity officer Ginger Phoong said the two areas were Umno-Barisan Nasional strongholds.

“If not for the chief minister, it would not be possible for us to capture these villages,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Phoong said the former Sandakan MP Stephen Wong had tried for two terms to make inroads in the two areas to no avail.
 
Wong’s daughter, Vivian has also described the villagers as unfriendly during her visits there.

“If not for Shafie none of them will vote for me,” she said.

Shafie’s influence over Malay voters in Sandakan was so powerful that even a special appearance by ”Bossku” Najib Razak failed to sway them, Lim said.

Shafie is able to mobilise Malay voters because he is in a position to address the issues affecting them.

In Kampung Forest two days ago, he promised the residents that the state government will look into their long-standing complaint about not having the titles to the land they occupied.

DAP had predicted a low turnout of Chinese voters who are working out of state and the Malay vote was crucial to see its candidate ensconced in parliament.

DAP party workers tonight said about 23% of the Chinese voters showed up at the polls.

“Many of them were senior citizens and they came in the morning,” the party source said.

The Malays and Sabah Bumiputera mostly voted after 10am and made up the rest of turnout.

The Election Commission pegged voter turnout at 54.4%, or 21,595 voters

Wong retained the Sandakan seat for DAP with by a whopping majority of 11,521 votes.

Vivian polled 16,012 votes while her nearest rival Linda Tsen of Parti Bersatu Sabah obtained 4,491 votes in a five-cornered fight.

Vivian’s father, who was the Sandakan MP for two terms, won the seat with a 10,098-vote majority in GE14.

The by-election was called following his death on March 28. – May 11, 2019.