SANDAKAN, April 16 — Barisan Nasional (BN) is confident of recapturing the Sandakan parliamentary seat in the 14th general election (GE14) based on the encouraging response received by the party from Chinese and Bumiputera voters in the area.
Sandakan BN secretary cum Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) vice-president Datuk Lim Ming Hoo said many voters had also expressed their disappointment over the failure of DAP's elected representative in championing the fate of the people and fulfilling the promises made during the last general election.
The Sandakan parliamentary constituency has a total of 39,833 registered voters with 52 per cent of them being Chinese and 48 per cent Bumiputera.
He said since the 13th general election, the party machinery had been working hard to realise the desire to recapture the Sandakan seat including by going down to the ground frequently to meet the people.
Lim said efforts to recapture the only parliamentary seat allocated to LDP were also being done by strengthening the party's leadership in the division through the appointment of its deputy president Datuk Chin Su Phin as Sandakan BN coordinating chairman in 2015.
In order to strengthen the Sandakan BN machinery in GE14, Lim said Gerakan central committee member Datuk Au Kam Wah was also appointed to lead the machinery based on his experience and influence as the incumbent assemblyman for Elopura.
“It is time to continue the struggle to recapture the Sandakan parliamentary constituency from the Opposition,” he told Bernama here.
The LDP is among the seven component parties of the Sandakan BN besides Umno, Gerakan, Parti Bersatu Sabah, MCA, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah and MIC.
Lim said all the component parties had also been working closely together and had promised to give their support to whoever was selected as the BN candidate for the seat in order to ensure victory for BN in the GE14.
“The names of the appropriate candidates have been submitted to the top leaders of LDP and BN. We will accept and give our full support to whoever is nominated.
“All the BN Sandakan component parties have agreed that they will respect the leadership's decision as what is more important is to recapture the Sandakan parliamentary seat from the Opposition,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sandakan Umno division chief Tan Sri Ampong Puyon said the party had given priority to working closely with other component parties in an effort to recapture the Sandakan parliamentary seat from DAP.
In the last general election in 2013, Sabah DAP chairman Wong Tien Fatt won the Sandakan parliamentary seat with a majority of 1,088 votes, defeating BN's candidate Datuk Liew Vui Keong. — Bernama
