GEORGE TOWN: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today confirmed the party has received recommendation of the candidate to be fielded for upcoming Sandakan by-election.
Without giving away any details, Lim said the party leadership would deliberate over the recommendation submitted by Sabah DAP.
“The candidate selection committee, headed by me, will decide and make the announcement at an appropriate time.
“We express delight towards Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) for expressing their support towards us for the by-election.
“We hope to meet soon, tonight or tomorrow night, to discuss on this,” he said when met outside the courtroom at the Penang High Court here today.
The Sandakan parliamentary seat fell vacant after its incumbent Datuk Stephen Wong, who was state Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister and state DAP chairman, died of a heart attack on March 28.
In the 14th General Election, Wong defended the seat after obtaining 19,094 votes, beating Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Lim Ming Hoo, who received 8,996 votes.
The Election Commission announced that the Sandakan parliamentary by-election would be held on May 11, with its nomination date set on April 27 and early polling fixed on May 7.
On a separate matter, Lim, who is Finance Minister, said there was no reason to have a valuation report for the sale of the Malaysian consulate building in Hong Kong as it was done through open tender.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong had been locking horns with Lim over the sale of the building.
Lim said the open tender would draw higher bids for the building, and the latest bid received, as announced recently, was at RM1.6 billion.
However, Wee was still unhappy with the explanation and demanded that Lim revealed the deposit payment.
“If we take the deposit, it means we have accepted the offer. The fact is that we will miss out on higher price.” he said.