SANDAKAN, May 1 — DAP Advisor Lim Kit Siang is confident voters in the Sandakan parliamentary constituency will help the party retain the seat in the upcoming by-election by backing its candidate, Vivian Wong Shir Yee.

Lim said Wong’s victory was very important, especially in efforts to restore the rights of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with the Peninsular as stated in Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

"The amendment (to the Constitution to restore the rights) was not successful when it failed to get a two-thirds majority of 148 votes and fell short with only 138. If Wong is chosen as a Parliamentarian, the vote count will become 139 and we hope to get another vote,” he said when speaking at the DAP ceramah in Kampung Mangkalinau here, today.

Also present were Wong, Elopura state assemblymen Calvin Chong and a representative from Parti Warisan Sabah.

Lim, who is also Iskandar Puteri MP, said that the Pakatan Harapan government was working to revive the economy of the local community in Sandakan through developments such as upgrading the Sandakan Airport.

He said attracting more tourists to Sandakan would require a world-class airport, besides other conveniences.

Calvin Chong, meanwhile, said efforts to repair the bridge in Kampung Mangkalinau would also be done soon, while the electricity supply would also be better organised to avoid any untoward incidents such as illegal connections.

Meanwhile, Kampung Mangkalinau village head Mohamad Idris, 51, hoped that the village established about 30 years ago, will be officially recognised, to enable it to receive better facilities from the government. — Bernama