Warisan urged to contest Sandakan state seats
SANDAKAN: Parti Warisan Sabah Batu Sapi deputy coordinator Shirley Chien Moi Yin has proposed to the party's top leadership to contest in all the state seats in Sandakan constituency, citing that Warisan could deliver the seats.
Shirley said that after many months of efforts to organize programmes such as walkabout and meeting the people in Sandakan, it is no secret that irrespective of races and religions, the people of Sandakan wanted to see change.
“Feedback that I got is very clear that they wanted a change in the political setting, not just another opposition winning one more seat.”
"Why do they desire change so badly is mainly due to a few main reasons from the feedback I have gathered, as follows: Firstly, the cost of living is getting higher and standard of living is getting lower and lower.
Secondly, businesses are so bad and the business people are closing down their shops and many have moved their business out of Sandakan no thanks to GST (Goods and Services Tax) implementation.
Thirdly, unemployment is so high as Sandakan has nothing to offer for the people. Barely any better job opportunities. Youth are moving to big cities like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and even to Australia. In the end Sandakan has become an old folks home. It is sad that Sandakan was once a thriving town and now slowly dying out as a ghost town.
Fourthly, tourists are getting lesser because of the security concern. Sandakan has lost her glory as the little Hong Kong in the 60s and 70s.
Surprisingly, Shirley said all these years Sandakan state seats, namely Karamunting, Tg Papat and Elopura, had been won by the Barisan Nasional (BN) despite all the problems.
“Even though BN has failed in developing Sandakan from economic point of view, why did BN continue to win these seats,” Shirley wondered.
“From the feedback we got, Sandakan people are hoping to have a strong multi-racial local party which can be accepted by all communities regardless of races and religions.”
Shirley said Sandakan voters had been longing for a Sabah party that can be accepted by all races, namely Malays, KDMs and Chinese in order to wrestle these three seats from the BN.
“The Chinese community understand by now that we need to combine our votes with fellow Muslim Sabahans in order to stand a good chance to defeat BN in Sandakan.
“The timing and party is right now. Malay supporters have moved out of BN and unite under Warisan.
“History has proven that a united Sabah under the then Berjaya and PBS, we can make a change in the political arena.
“Warisan is the right platform and the only platform that can defeat BN and form the Sabah government.
“Only in Warisan that Sabahans are united as Anak Sabah regardless of races and religions, Sabahans are united despite geographical and demographical differences,” she said.
She added that many Sandakan voters hoped to see Warisan to represent them in their state seats to face BN, which for practical reason they were fully aware that UmnoBN was worried only about Warisan and not any other parties.
“I humbly propose to the Parti Warisan Sabah top leadership to consider seriously fielding our candidates in all state seats in Sandakan constituency in the 14th General Election.
“This is the best timing and best platform when all Sabahans from all corners of Sabah are truly united as one with the determination and common goal that is to put an end to Umno-BN rule in Sabah,” Shirley concluded.