Although there is a sombre mood in Sabah following the death of its Batu Sapi MP Edmund Chong ( below ), excitement over the ensuing by-election is expected to build up in the coming days, over which party will attempt to wrest the seat from the Barisan Nasional.

edmund chong ket wah 01 Pakatan Rakyat leaders from the national and state levels are scheduled to meet within the next few days to discuss the matter.

A win for Pakatan, which is likely to be represented by  either PKR or DAP, will be a major boost to its ambition to capture Putrajaya come the 13th general election.

But Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), led by former Sabah Chief Minister Yong Teck Lee, is also expected to field a candidate in Batu Sapi.

Entering the Batu Sapi polls will be a litmus test for SAPP’s level of support after it broke away from BN in September 2008.

At this early stage, it is understood that none of the parties likely to be involved has officially met to discuss the by-election, let alone discuss any possibility of negotiations to ensure a straight fight against the BN.

PKR to meet soon

NONE When contacted, Sabah PKR deputy chief Christina Liew ( left ) said the state leaders are scheduled to meet tomorrow on the matter and their recommendations would be forwarded to the state Pakatan secretariat.

She could not confirm if PKR would be fielding a candidate, saying it would be left to the state Pakatan secretariat to deliberate on the matter.

“But if we are to contest, I believe we will stand a good chance. In the Pakatan spirit, the whole coalition’s machinery will be on hand to help,” she said.

Asked about news reports that PKR election director Fuziah Salleh had already staked the party’s claim to the Batu Sapi seat, Liew said she was unaware of this.

“I hope what she says is correct. I am very confident that we are all ready to work on the ground and ensure victory,” she said.

Fuziah said the seat had been allocated to PKR during the 2008 general election and by default, the party should contest during the by-election.

However, PKR failed to field a candidate in that election and Chong trounced an independent opponent with a thumping 3,708 majority.

PKR’s national political bureau will be meeting on Bukit Sapi on Wednesday. The meeting is expected to be chaired by party de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Sabah Pakatan has autonomy

Similarly, Sabah DAP chief Hiew King Cheu too declined to stake a claim on the Batu Sapi seat, adding that Sabah Pakatan leaders were expected to meet sometime next week to discuss the matter.

“A win is very important to Pakatan, not just to a particular component party,” said Hiew, who is also the Kota Kinabalu MP.

NONE But looking at history, Hiew ( right ) said, the DAP enjoys significant support in Batu Sapi and in the neighbouring Sandakan seat, which the party held for three terms from 1981.

Some DAP leaders contacted said the Batu Sapi seat was reassigned to the party from PKR, after PKR’s dismal showing in Sabah in the 2008 general election.

However, both Liew and Hiew stressed that the unique position of Sabah Pakatan allowed it to make certain autonomous decisions, including the selection of candidates.

“We have been given autonomy and the national leaders won’t interfere. Not even BN’s Sabah components are given autonomy. This is the key thing that will help us obtain the mandate from the people,” said Hiew.

The top national leaders of Pakatan are also due to meet on Wednesday to discuss, among others matters, the coalition’s position on the Batu Sapi by-election.

Ready to take on SAPP  

                 

Should no deal be reached with SAPP within reasonable time, Hiew said, Pakatan would be  ready to take it on in a multi-cornered fight.

azlan “There is nothing we can do to stop SAPP. It has a right to try. But as far as Pakatan is concerned, we will be contesting,” said Hiew.

He said SAPP has been busy pitching itself as a party founded and run by locals for locals, and dismissing Pakatan as a Peninsula Malaysia-based party.

“The thing is, we are a national coalition and our local chapters are totally run by locals. This will definitely be noticed by the voters,” Hiew said.

Attempts to contact Yong were futile. SAPP information chief Chong Pit Fah declined comment, out of respect for the late MP Chong.

Chong died in a motorcycle accident on Saturday, prompting the first by-election since the last by-election in Sabah - that for the Likas state seat in 2001 - which incidentally was won by Yong.