The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) is likely to put up a candidate in the upcoming Batu Sapi by-election, setting the stage for a possible three-corner fight involving SAPP, PKR and BN.

Although SAPP leaders have so far, kept mum about the possibility of the local-based party joining in the fray, there is already an indication of the party's intention.

The Election Commission (EC) has set Nov 4 as polling day for the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat, while nomination day is Oct 26.

In what is seen as an early pointer, Batu Sapi PKR chief Nahalan Damasal has urged the opposition to let SAPP take on BN in the upcoming Batu Sapi by-election.

In making the call at a press conference in Lido yesterday, which was ironically attended by SAPP information chief Chong Pit Fah, Nahalan was quoted as saying that he was willing to help the SAPP candidate in the by-election.

Asked about this, Chong said everyone was entitled to speculate but the party had yet to decide on the matter.

"Nahalan is only urging SAPP to contest against BN but some people also called me, asking for an explanation for not contesting in Batu Sapi. Those are things that need to be analysed or considered," he told Bernama here today.

As such, Chong said SAPP would hold a special supreme council meeting in Luyang tomorrow, to discuss the party's stand on the Batu Sapi by-election.

Local political analyst Clarence Sinsua opined that SAPP would probably contest in the Batu Sapi by-election.

"Since leaving the BN coalition after the 2008 general election, party leaders are vocal in highlighting the various issues affecting the state... so, my reading is that SAPP might use the Batu Sapi by-election to gauge its grassroots support before the coming general election, as well as test the party's credibility.

"I'm sure SAPP will not squander this golden opportunity, and the same goes to Pakatan Rakyat, especially PKR. If these two parties cannot compromise on a single candidate for the opposition, the chances are SAPP, PKR and the BN are in for a tough battle," he said.

PBS: We have the upper hand

However, Clarence believed that BN candidate from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) would have the upper hand or was in a better position to retain the seat "what more, if SAPP and PKR fight each other by fielding their respective candidates".

He said the state BN also surely did not want its tag as "fixed deposit" for the ruling BN to be dented by the opposition, making this by-election more interesting.

"I think it's not going to be easy for the opposition to grab the seat from the BN or spring a surprise. The present government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Razak, and Chief Minister Musa Aman at state-level, has proven to be capable of delivering the goods, particularly through the 1Malaysia concept.

"From what I gather, Batu Sapi is enjoying development under the BN. So, opposition parties like SAPP and Pakatan will really have to come up with "big issues" to win the hearts and minds of the Batu Sapi voters," he said.

In the last general election, BN won 24 out of the 25 parliamentary seats at stake in Sabah, losing only the Kota Kinabalu seat to DAP. The number reduced to 22 seats after SAPP, with two parlimentarians, pulled out of the BN.

The Batu Sapi parlimentary seat was left vacant, following the tragic death of its elected representative, Edmund Chong Ket Wah, of PBS in a road accident last Saturday.    

Seat belong to PKR

In the last general election in 2008, Chong won the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat by beating independent candidate Chung Kwong Wing by a majority of 3,708 votes. Chong garnered 9,479 votes.

Earlier, PKR election director Fuziah Salleh said PKR would contest in the Batu Sapi by-election, saying the seat belonged to PKR although it did not field a candidate there in 2008.

Two days later, PKR supreme council member and Tuaran PKR chief Ansari Abdullah said the party would hold a meeting with SAPP soon to ensure only one candidate from the opposition took on the BN.

He said PKR was in the process of finalising the candidates with two criteria to be emphasised - acceptance of the people and the readiness of the would-be candidate to serve the area.

According to the Sabah Election Commission website, as of Sept 1, this year, Batu Sapi has 25,720 voters with 56.01 percent comprising bumiputera Islam, Chinese (40.22 percent) and the others, three percent.

Batu Sapi consists of two state seats, namely Sekong and Karamunting, and both are respresented by BN in the State Legislative Assembly.

- Bernama