Sabah DAP's Api-Api branch chairperson Oh Choo Hong has gone public to attack the party's candidate Hiew King Cheu in a leaflet distributed to voters in the run-up to the Gaya parliamentary seat by-election.

Oh, when contacted today, confirmed that he had distributed the flyers which severely chastised Hiew, and urged voters to "spoil their votes" on polling day tomorrow.

In his flyer, obtained by malaysiakini , Oh said that he would not be involved in campaigning for the party candidate because Hiew was "stubborn, arrogant and egoistic".

According to the flyer, Oh also felt he was "humiliated" by the young elected representatives in the party, especially those from West Malaysia, despite being a founding member of the state DAP.

Party hoppers

He added he had been dismissed as a "party hopper" unlike Hiew

Hiew was formerly a DAP member who later joined the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition before returning to DAP.

The flyers, which were in Mandarin and distributed since Wednesday, also issued a stern warning to young DAP leaders from the peninsula that Sabahans have an equal partnership with West Malaysians.

"We do not like being treated like running dogs of West Malaysian leaders," said Oh, who was twice imprisoned under the Internal Security Act, in 1969 and 1974.

The Api-Api branch, which is headed by Oh, did not support the party's decision to contest in the Oct 12 by-election.

The Gaya by-election is locked in an intense fight between Barisan Nasional's Sabah Progressive Party candidate Liew Teck Chan, DAP's Hiew and Keadilan's Christina Liew.

Coincidently, the three contestants were ex-members of Parti Bersatu Sabah, a former opposition party in the state which has now rejoined the ruling coalition.

The Gaya seat fell vacant following the disqualification of its member of parliament, SAPP president and the state's former chief minister Yong Teck Lee, for an election offence.

Don't vote for BN either

Meanwhile, Oh said he had the backing of DAP members from Sandakan and Tawau.

He said party members wanted to "preserve the dignity and autonomy of Sabahans".

Oh also predicted that the turnout of voters will be poor and said that most of those who decline to vote will be DAP voters.

"We are asking people to spoil their votes," he said. "Voting for BN will be like voting for corruption for its leaders who do not care about the hardship of the people," he added.

Asked if the people should throw their support behind Keadilan's candidate Liew, Oh said he did not believe so.

He said ISA detainee Dr Badrul Amin Baharon, a Sabahan serving a two-year period in the Kamunting detention camp, would have made a better opposition candidate than Liew.

However, Oh said he would call on his supporters to back Liew if she requested so.