Batu Sapi...

There is another by-election in East Malaysia that will definitely draw attention around the country - Batu Sapi by-election.

I have spoken to my close friend in Tawau, Sabah two days ago.

The seat was contested by Barisan Nasional (BN) and an independent candidate in 2008 General Election.

BN was represented by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and its candidate was the late Ir. Edmund Chong.

In the 2008 General Election Chong won the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat by beating independent candidate Chung Kwong Wing by a majority of 3,708 votes. Chong had garnered 9,479 votes.

Parti KeADILan Rakyat (PKR) Election Director, YB Fuziah Salleh, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kuantan, claimed that the seat was originally allocated to PKR in 2008 General Election but the party then could not field a candidate.

The late Ir. Edmund Chong was challenged by an independent candidate, Chung Kwong Wing. Chung was defeated by only a majority of 3,708 votes. Chong had garnered 9,479 votes.

If BN's opponent is a more structured and organised political parties from Pakatan Rakyat, I believe we have chance to win the seat even though it is a 60% Muslim majority seat.

You may wonder why BN fields a Chinese to contest in a Muslim-majority seat. I was told that the seat was traditional a Chinese-majority seat but in 2004 it became a Muslim-majority seat after re-delineation exercise.

PKR's Fuziah Salleh said that the seat was originally allocated to PKR and I find that this is interesting. If this is true then all the multi-corner fight in seats contested by DAP should have been avoided since the seats were all "allocated" to DAP.

If there any allocation of any Sabah parliamentary seat to a particular non-BN political party in 2008 GE?

I doubt it very very much and thus I think it is still too early to say that PKR will represent PR in Batu Sapi.

On another hand, SAPP is seemed to be interested in the seat. Being a neutral political party who champions "Sabah For Sabahans", the party will definitely take the by-election as an opportunity to establish its influence in Sabah.

Of course, for us as politicians, others as reporters, civil servants etc, our Christmas this year will never be a peaceful one.