2019 Sandakan by-election

The 2019 Sandakan by-election was a by-election held on 11 May 2019 for the Dewan Rakyat seat of Sandakan.[1] It was called following the death of incumbent, Wong Tien Fatt on 28 March 2019.[2] Wong was a 2-term Member of Parliament for Sandakan since 2013. He was a member and Sabah state party chairman (2015-2019) of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.[3]

2019 Sandakan by-election

11 May 2019
P186 Sandakan seat in the Dewan Rakyat
DAP PBS IND Candidate Vivian Wong Shir Yee Linda Tsen Thau Lin Hamzah Abdullah Party DAP PBS Independent Alliance PH-WARISAN-UPKO GBS-SAPP-PPRS Popular vote 16,012 4,491 788 Percentage 75.02% 21.04% 3.69%   IND IND Candidate Chia Siew Yung Sulaiman Abdul Samat Party Independent Independent Popular vote 178 126 Percentage 0.83% 0.59%
P186 Sandakan federal constituency border and its corresponding state assembly seats.
MP before election Wong Tien Fatt (died) Pakatan Harapan (DAP) Elected MP Vivian Wong Shir Yee Pakatan Harapan (DAP)

Vivian Wong Shir Yee of DAP won the by-election by 16,012 votes out of the 21,595 votes cast with a bigger majority of 11,521 votes despite at a lower turnout rate at 54.44%.[4][5][6]

Background

Wong Tien Fatt had died of heart attack on 28 March 2019.[7] Causing the Sandakan seat vacant and a by-election was called. The Election Commission (EC) had set the polling day for 11 May 2019. Early voting was held on 7 May 2019 and Nomination Day on 27 April 2019.

The electoral roll last updated on March 28 with a total of 40,131 voters was used. Of that figure, 39,856 are regular voters, 270 qualify as early voters and five voters who live abroad and qualify as absentee voters.[8]

Sandakan's registered voters are 49% Chinese, 44% Muslim-Bumiputra, 6% non-Muslim Bumiputra, and 1% Indian and others.[9]

Nominations

On 25 April 2019, Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal announced that Sabah DAP's Vivian Wong Shir Yee, the daughter of the late incumbent, as the candidate for the alliance of Pakatan Harapan (PH), Sabah Heritage Party (WARISAN) and United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) for the by-election.[10][11] On 26 April, Shafie Apdal said that the alliance would use DAP's logo for the by-election as DAP won by a vast majority using their logo in the 14th General Elections (GE14).[12]

United Sabah Party or Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS); of the United Alliance or Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS) had earlier mulls over their decision fielding a candidate.[13] On 22 April 2019, the PBS finally announced their decision to contest the by-election.[14] On 26 April, former Batu Sapi MP, Linda Tsen Thau Lin was announced as the PBS candidate.[15] PBS would also used its own logo as GBS coalition is not registered while it had quit Barisan Nasional (BN) after GE14.[16]

Homeland Solidarity Party or Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR); one of PBS's two allies beside United Sabah People's Party (PBRS) within GBS alliance had earlier announced its intention to field economist Jenny Liew Wean Chee, 50, who is its Tanjung Papat division chief to contest the Sandakan by-election.[17] Somehow STAR had later retracted earlier decision to contest in the by-election in order to support their GBS counterpart and ally, PBS instead.[18]

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Yong Teck Lee on 25 April had conveyed their backing for the party’s former foe, PBS to its president Maximus Ongkili in the by-election; for the interest of Sabah rights.[19]

Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) and United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) chief Bung Mokhtar Radin said Sabah BN or UMNO would not contest the by-election but would support a single candidate from the Opposition front.[20] There was speculation that Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) might contest the by-election and Batu Sapi MCA Division Chief, Chew Kok Wah was touted as the candidate.[21] On 21 April 2019, BN announced their intention to contest the by-election and candidate would likely come from the MCA or a direct member.[22] On 22 April 2019, BN acting chairman, Mohamad Hasan made the final decision for BN to not contest the by-election.[23]

Sabah Native Co-operation Party (Anak Negeri) intended to contest in the by-election since BN opted out of it and wished BN would support them instead.[24] However the party did not contest.

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), of which previous candidate Lim Ming Hoo contested the seat under BN ticket in the last GE14, announced that they would not contest this by-election.[25] They also had earlier denied they had met their previous BN coalition partner, UMNO, and declared they would not work with them in the by-election.[26]

Another former BN component; Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) cancelled their plan to contest by fielding the ex-Sabah deputy chief minister, Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, for the by-election after he resigned abruptly from the party.[27] He joined WARISAN later.[28]

The Sabah Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) announced on 2 April that they were ready to field a candidate in the by-election and Sabah PAS commissioner Mohd Aminuddin Aling said the decision would be confirmed in a meeting later on.[29] On 17 April 2019, PAS announced that they would not contest the seat and would support a candidate from the Opposition.[30]

United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) also declared they would not contest and would support the PBS candidate in the by-election.[31]

Businessman and former oil palm company manager Chia Siew Yung, 46, announced he would be contesting in the by-election as an independent.[32] Other than Chia, at least two other independents, ex-Sabah National Trust Party (AMANAH) chairman / ex-Sabah PAS commissioner Hamzah Abdullah and youth activist Jufazli Shi Ahmad, also stated their wish to contest for the by-election.[9] Sulaiman Abdul Samat, 36, the ex-Assistant Administrator of DAP Sandakan Parliament Service Centre, had also intended to join the by-election.[33]

On 27 April Nomination Day, Vivian Wong of DAP and Linda Tsen of PBS alongside with 3 independents, Chia Siew Yung (key), Hamzah Abdullah (tree) and Sulaiman Abdul Samat (chair) filed their nomination papers to set for a five-cornered fight in the by-election.[34]

Controversies and issues

Finance Minister, Lim Guan Eng announced a RM2.28 billion development project to be held in Sandakan. This was widely criticised by social media for launching a project when the by-election was near.[35]

DAP candidate Vivian Wong was criticised for cleaning a Muslim cemetery. Social media users cited that it was a political gimmick to gain Muslim Bumiputera votes.[36]

PBS put up a controversial banner that claimed Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng had threatened Sandakan voters by saying he could not solve the issue of insufficient parking lots at the Sandakan Hospital in the event that DAP's candidate Vivian Wong lost in this by-election. DAP dismissed the claim and explained that Lim's remark was taken out of context. The banner was subsequently removed by the Election Commission.[37][38][39]

Results

Malaysian general by-election, 2019: Sandakan
Upon the death of the incumbent, Wong Tien Fatt

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%
	DAP	Vivian Wong Shir Yee	16,012	74.15	+6.18
	PBS	Linda Tsen Thau Lin	4,491	20.80	-11.23
	Independent	Hamzah Abdullah	788	3.65	+3.65
	Independent	Chia Siew Yung	178	0.82	+0.82
	Independent	Sulaiman Abdul Samat	126	0.58	+0.58
Total valid votes			21,595	100.00
Total rejected ballots			234
Unreturned ballots			18
Turnout			21,847	54.44
Registered electors			40,131
Majority			11,521
	DAP hold		Swing		+8.71
Source(s) 1. "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Kecil P.186 Sandakan". Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya Malaysia. 2019-05-11. Retrieved 2019-05-23.

Polling District Result

DAP won all the polling districts and post votes. PSB won the early votes with a razor thin majority.

Previous Result

Malaysian general election, 2018: Sandakan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	∆%
	DAP	Wong Tien Fatt	19,094	67.97	+ 15.98
	BN	Lim Ming Hoo	8,996	32.03	- 15.98
Total valid votes			28,090	100.00
Total rejected ballots			502
Unreturned ballots			76
Turnout			28,668	72.07
Registered electors			39,777
Majority			10,098	35.95
	DAP hold		Swing		+15.98
Source(s) "His Majesty's Government Gazette - Notice of Contested Election, Parliament for the State of Sabah [P.U. (B) 246/2018]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-01. "Federal Government Gazette - Results of Contested Election and Statements of the Poll after the Official Addition of Votes, Parliamentary Constituencies for the State of Sabah [P.U. (B) 320/2018]" (PDF). Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-01.

References

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14. Julia Chan (22 April 2019). "PBS to contest Sandakan by-election". Malay Mail. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
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17. Leonard Alaza (April 6, 2019). "Star announces intention to contest Sandakan by-poll". Daily Express. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
18. Julia Chan (22 April 2019). "STAR bows out of Sandakan by-election, pledges support for PBS candidate". Malay Mail. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
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22. Lu Wei Hoong (21 April 2019). "Amid palm oil price slump, BN mulls contesting in Sandakan". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
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27. "Ex-DCM quits Gerakan after offered to contest Sandakan seat". Malaysiakini. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
28. "Ex-Tanjung Papat assemblyperson Raymond Tan joins Warisan". Bernama. Malaysiakini. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
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33. Poliana Ronnie Sidom (18 April 2019). "Mahu bertanding kerana rasa bertanggungjawab" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
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