SANDAKAN: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has nominated its vice-prsident and one time Batu Sapi federal lawmaker Datuk Linda Tsen Thau to contest the Sandakan by-election.
PBS president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said being an experienced and tested leader, Tsen, 64, has what it takes to represent the Sandakan constituents.
Both Sandakan and Batu Sapi are neighbouring parliamentary seats in Sandakan.
"She is not foreign to Sandakan and as a two-term parliamentarian, she has a proven good track record and is the best choice to be the voice of the Sandakan people in the Parliament.
"We need a person who is not only experienced but has served her previous constituents well. She is very likeable and close to the grassroots," he told reporters at a press conference here today.
“We knew they are going to put a member of the (late MP Stephen Wong Tien Fatt ’s) family. When we scanned our list (of potential candidates) ranging from young middle-aged and old, we decided Tsen is in the best position to be the flag bearer and voice of Sandakan,” said Ongkili.
The last time PBS contested in Sandakan was in the 1990 General Election, when its nominee Lai Lun Tze won the seat for then Sabah based party.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal announced that Vivian Wong Shir Yee, 30, from DAP and the youngest child of the late Wong would replace her father and contest the Sandakan parliamentary seat in the May 11 by-election.
Ongkili said there has been a lot of disappointment and unhappiness with the Federal and State governments due to their failure to fulfil election promises since they took the helm last May.
“This is our (PBS) call of duty - to offer an option for the Sandakan voters to defend their rights and make their voices heard. Our mission is straightforward,” he said.
Ongkili said he was confident that PBS had the backing of other like-minded parties STAR, SAPP, USNO, UMNO and MCA, among others, for the polls.
He said that the party would pursue pertinent issues involving Sabah namely the Malaysia Agreement 1963, security, and development matters that affect the livelihood of the people here.
Meanwhile, Tsen, who was the former Batu Sapi member of Parliament between 2010 and 2018, said she was committed in serving the people to the best of her ability.
Tsen, who was born and raised in Sandakan, is the widow of the late Batu Sapi MP Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah who served the constituency between 2004 and 2010. Following the death of Chong, she won the Batu Sapi seat in a by-election and defended the seat in 2013.
In her parliamentary work, Tsen headed and represented the Malaysian Women Parliamentarians to several General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in the United States, Brunei Darussalam, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines.
The former musician and piano teacher is expected to face the youngest daughter of the late Datuk Stephen Wong and independents in the polls.
The parliamentary seat fell vacant after its incumbent Wong died of heart attack on March 28.
In the 14th General Election Wong had obtained 19,094 votes, defeating BN candidate Datuk Lim Ming Hoo who garnered 8,996 votes.
Sandakan has 39,777 registered voters - 49 per cent Chinese, 44 per cent Muslim Bumiputera and six per cent non-Muslim Bumiputera.