THE DAP’s thumping victory in last Saturday’s Sandakan parliamentary by-election was a shot in the arm for Pakatan Harapan (PH) and the Sabah state government, says political commentator Tang Ah Chai.
He explained that the win was a big and timely morale booster coming on the heels of three by-election defeats in a row for PH.
“It put a stop to negative comments about the PH administration on its first anniversary. Overall, this (the victory in Sandakan) is a big boost for them (PH),” he said.
“The public’s comments on PH’s performance over the last 12 months have not been very positive. The result of the Sandakan polls was a shot in the arm for the coalition,” he said, adding that the electorate would now give PH another four years to prove itself.
Tang told Oriental Daily News in a report published today that DAP’s victory also enhanced Sabah’s political stability and bolstered the Parti Warisan Sabah-led state government.
“The fact that DAP garnered more votes despite a lower voter turnout compared with the 14th general election demonstrated how strong the party is in the constituency. It also helped strengthen PH’s grip on power.”
He said the landslide win for DAP could be attributed to a number of factors.
He noted that Vivian Wong, who was the political aide to her father Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt before his untimely death, necessitated the by-election, is no stranger to the electorate.
The support of Warisan chief Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who enjoys Sabahans’ full confidence in leading the state administration, also helped Wong draw the votes.
