The Chinese form almost 40 per cent of the total electorate in the Gaya parliamentary constituency with Kota Kinabalu city, the Sabah state capital, right in its heart.

Yet, in the just-concluded by-election yesterday, their turnout was the lowest among the three predominant racial groups the other two generally categoried as non-Muslim bumiputras (mainly Kadazandusun constituting 33.3 per cent) and Muslim bumiputras (Malay, Bajau, Bugis, Suluk, Sungai, etc constituting 21.64 percent).

Overall, the turnout at a little shy of 45 percent in Gaya was, according to the Election Commission last night, the lowest in a Malaysian by-election. Compare that to more than 70 per cent in the Pendang parliamentary by-election in Kedah recently.

Although Barisan Nasional candidate Liew Teck Chan, 54, a vice president of former Chief Minister Yong Teck Lee's Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), won with nearly 12,000-vote majority, relegating his DAP's opponent Hiew King Cheu, a 50-year-old civil engineer and business consultant, to way behind in second place with only 3716 votes, and Parti Keadilan's 50-year-old lawyer Christina Liew to only 2613 votes (she lost her deposit), it didn't seem to bring much inner comfort to SAPP leaders, especially Yong.

This time, according to SAPP deputy president Tham Nyip Shen, the Chinese turn-out was only around 34 per cent or about 6000 of the Chinese votes out of a total of about 19,000 votes.

Two local issues

Why? Tham told malaysiakini he blamed it on two particular issues that the opposition had apparently played up to much effect the 'exhorbitant' car-parking fees and the resettlement issue of the Pulau Gaya squatters.

Another less significant local issue is the closure of the city's popular thoroughfare, Gaya Street, to motorists.

Although the polling booths were practically at their doorsteps, two-thirds of the Chinese voters did not bother to cast their votes, for this and other reasons, according to Tham's political secretary and former journalist Au Kam Wah. "If the rest had, they would have turned into protest votes (against the BN government)," he added.

During a press conference after the results were announced, Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy leader Ahmad Abdullah Badawi admitted as much the local issues played a part, although he didn't go into details.

In response to a question, he merely said: "We are aware of the local issues. The government listens. We will act on them."

Seated next to him was Sabah Chief Minister Chong Kah Kiat, who appeared a little uneasy at the mention of this, especialy when three of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leaders, claimed the successful SAPP candidate Liew Teck Chan, have a vested interest in the carpark-operating company. Tham also confirmed this last night.

Exhorbitant charges

The company, it is learnt, has a five-year agreement with the Kota Kinabalu City Hall to manage car-parking in areas within its jurisdiction and, according to Liew, 10 per cent of the parking fees go to city hall. The company employs the staff.

The major point of contention is what a Kota Kinabalu private medical practitioner described as the exhorbitant charges for late payments.

Most people irrespective of party affiliation and vocation agree the charges would have to be revised downwards, arguing the need for parking control, especially along busy streets in the city, to maintain orderliness. Abdullah has directed that this be done as soon as possible.

Going into details of the figures of votes apportioned to various parties in various polling districts, it is clear that in those predominantly Chinese polling streams, the combined votes obtained by the combined opposition nearly always matched that for the BN.

Take Likas Selatan, for example, the BN obtained 738 votes while the DAP secured 418 votes and Keadilan polled 127 votes. And in Likas Tengah, BN obtained 232 votes while DAP got 123 and Keadilan only managed 36 votes.

Therefore, the BN's greatest dent is in predominantly-Chinese areas, and again, from catches of conversations in the course of the final days of campaigning that malaysiakini had with local residents, the issues were nearly always all local, focusing on such things as car parking fees, closure of Gaya Street and resettlement of squatters.

Pulau Gaya votes

Although they didn't say so, local Umno leaders also acknowledge that it's the local issues that encouraged the Muslim bumi voter turnout percentage behind the highest, that is after Kadazandusun, at around 60 per cent.

In an apparent rebuff of DAP and perhaps growing support for Keadilan, which is locally headed by Saidatul Said, a sister of a local Umno leader and state minister Salleh Said Keruak, the voters in Pulau Gaya across the Kota Kinabalu bay gave only 11 votes to DAP and 300 votes to Keadian while BN obtained 704 votes.

It is this island, where there is a large number of Muslim bumi voters, opposite KK City that has been very much in the news, after the government's decision to repatriate illegal immigrants from their home to their countries and to resettle squatters at Telipok outside the city.

This move has not apparently gone well too with both new resettlers and the long-time residents of Telipok. To many visitors and local residents, however, the security situation in Sabah has improved significantly after the repatriation of illegal immigrants and the start of a slow but necessary resettlement of squatters, especially around cities like Kota Kinabalu.

"The job is far from over," according to one official. "It has to be done in the state's interest."

But the BN's loudest applause was reserved for Partu Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and its president Joseph Pairin Kitingan. The former chief minister is the Huguan Siou or Paramount Chief of the Kadazadusun community, that his PBS largely represents..

Pairin and PBS

Looking closely at the figures would at once tell that most of the votes were drawn from the predominantly-Kadazandusun polling districts where the turn-out was around 70 per cent.

In his usual humble way, Pairin attributed BN's handsome victory to the overwhelming support of the Kadazandusuns.

"They had shown their support for BN and for us" referring apparently not only to PBS but also the other Kadazandusun-based parties Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) led by state minister Joseph Kurup and United Pasokmomogum Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) led by federal minister Bernard Dompok.

Pairin said the BN's big majority shows the inland community want the government to continue with efforts already taken to resolve many of the problems facing the community and that it has also given rise to new hopes and expectations.

He did not go into details, but this would seem to suggest the desire for better education, medical and health care, housing and business opportunities.

Meanwhile, defeated Keadilan candidate Christina Liew showed little signs of giving up in spite of her dismal performance. In a variation to the oft-repeated phrase "Down but not out," she said: "I would like to make it clear that I did not lose...it's just that I've not won yet."

Temporary setback

She turned up at the tally centre last night only to thank the media and did not enter the hall. "That was around 8 p.m. You have been so nice. We already know the results." She indicated that she would definitely stand again if that is the wish of the party in the coming general election.

"This is only a temporary set-back. The party is here to stay. Keadilan is not a seasonable party that comes and goes with elections."

DAP's Hiew said he had expected to poll more votes. He added that although he was naturally disappointed, he was not giving up too. He was aware all along that fighting the huge machineries and resources of the BN was never easy.

He said the results nevertheless showed that there are still hopes for the party in future elections.

"Nevertheless, it is quite an achievement, considering that it was only after a short period of five months of revitalising Sabah DAP...it (Gaya by-election) is a stepping stone, Hiew added.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini correspondent based in Kuching, Sarawak.