PBS MUST END ‘OLD POLITICAL CULTURE’
Analyst also says DAP’s huge win reflects a dearth of credible opposition in Sabah
THE lack of a formidable opposition in Sabah was evident in the Sandakan parliamentary by-election, as the Democratic Action Party (DAP) coasted to an easy victory.
Although DAP was considered the favourite going into the contest, the landslide win was unexpected, as many had thought that Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) would put up a fight against the peninsulabased party.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) academician and political researcher Dr Zaini Othman told the New Straits Times that this could mean only one thing, that there was a dearth of a credible opposition in the state.
“Sabah Umno is almost crippled and dying. Immediately after the nomination process for the by-election, the opposition was torn apart. It lacked a campaign strategy. PBS came out with a more constructive approach only in the latter part of the campaign.”
Zaini said even the presence of federal opposition figures — such as Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan and former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, with his “Bossku” tagline — did little for PBS.
“Had it been able to portray itself as formidable, it would have given DAP a run for its money. That did not happen.
“Also, the ‘Bossku’ persona did not work and was insignificant.”
Noting that PBS had a great political history and legacy in Sabah politics, he said the party needed to do some soulsearching if it wanted to make a comeback.
PBS must do away with the “old political culture in the party” and bring in young blood, said Zaini.
He added that DAP and its partners in the government knew they could not afford to lose Sandakan.
“Sandakan is their report card and a testimony to people accepting their policies and governance after a year of taking over (from the Barisan Nasional-led government).
“Thus, they pushed hard for a win. The mobilisation of assets during campaigning reflected this. In other words, they knew they could not take the by-election lightly.”
The by-election was triggered by the death of two-term member of parliament Datuk Stephen Wong on March 28.
He was Sabah DAP chairman and state health and people’s wellbeing minister.
In the 14th General Election, Wong defended his seat by a 10,098-vote majority against Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Lim Ming Hoo (Liberal Democratic Party), who obtained 8,996 votes.
The five-cornered fight in the Sandakan by-election saw Wong’s youngest daughter Vivian Wong Shir Yee of DAP winning with a 11,521-vote majority over Datuk Linda Tsen Thau Lin of PBS.
Vivian garnered 16,012 votes, while Tsen, a two-term Batu Sapi MP, polled 4,491 votes.
As for the three independents, former Pas and Parti Amanah Negara state leader Hamzah Abdullah came in third with 788 votes, followed by oil palm company executive Chia Siew Yung with 178 votes.
Sulaiman Abdul Samat, a former administrative assistant at DAP’s Sandakan Parliamentary Service Centre, obtained 126 votes.