updated version

Keadilan will field a female Chinese lawyer from Sabah in the upcoming Likas by-election in the state, a party top leader confirmed today.

Dr Chandra Muzaffar, Keadilan deputy president, told malaysiakini that the party's political bureau unanimously agreed that Christina Liew, 48, from Likas, should be their candidate in the election as she has a clean reputation among the locals.

"She has been active in non-governmental organisations and welfare work. She is also close to the local community made up of various races," Chandra said.

Liew is the treasurer of Sabah Keadilan. She is a former member of another opposition party in the state, Parti Bersatu Sabah, prior to joining Keadilan in recent years.

The by-election will be held on July 21, with its nomination scheduled for tomorrow.

Chandra added the choice of candidate was done in accordance with the United Nations' international resolution that women should strive for a stake of at least 30 percent at the decision-making level.

"I suspect she may be the only woman candidate this time around," said Chandra in jest.

Earlier, malaysiakini reported that the Sabah Keadilan will announce Liew as their candidate by 7pm today in the state capital.

It has been widely speculated previously that the candidate would be Youth leader Dr Badrul Amin Bahron, who is currently being detained under the Internal Security Act, in Kamunting, Perak.

Phantom voters

Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is visiting Likas with Saidatul Badrul, who is the information chief of the party's Sabah branch.

The Likas seat fell vacant when the June 8 decision by Elections Court judge Muhammad Kamil Awang nullified the result of the 1999 state elections for Likas on the grounds that the electoral roll was padded with phantom voters.

More than 500 names have since been struck off the rolls.

Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) president Yong Teck Lee was elected the assembly representative for the constituency when he garnered 9,110 votes, beating Parti Bersatu Sabah's Dr Chong Eng Leong who received 4,148 votes; Parti Bersekutu's Harris Mohd Salleh, 3,576; Parti Setia's Gamparon Lajah, 318; PAS' Yahya Kassim; 200 and independent candidate Saujin Kadir, 100.

Likas has a population of approximately 65,000 and about 26,172 registered voters. Once a Chinese majority area, the Election Commission re-drew the electoral boundaries in 1994. Currently 60 percent of voters are Muslim bumiputras, 31 percent are Chinese and non-Muslim bumiputras, nine percent.

Meanwhile, Sabah Barisan Nasional announced today that Yong will contest in the by-election as the BN candidate.