Batu Sapi voters trapped in a ‘Catch-22’
By Michael Kaung, Free Malaysia Today
SANDAKAN: As the Batu Sapi parliamentary by-elections campaign blitz goes into overdrive three days before polling day, voters here find themselves trapped in a time-warped cycle of promises and disappointment. For some casting their ballot for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government will not be easy but their hands are tied.
The BN sees a potential of up to 6,500 voters in the bag already. It will come from the 1,500-odd postal votes from navy and military personnel plus 5,000 or so from migrants from neighbouring countries who have secured citizenship and suffrage, but are living outside the constituency.
The BN election machinery is said to have located and factored in about 3,000 of these “new” voters to predict a win on Nov 4 polling day.
“The BN is now looking for the remaining 2,000 who are on the electoral rolls,” said a political analyst here who wished to remain anonymous.
Despite “gains” by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), BN is confident of winning over the solidly Muslim Bumiputera voting bloc.
These are the Suluk, Bajau, Orang Sungai, Bugis, and Brunei Malay. Most are poor fishermen living along the coast and on the islands (between 20 minutes and a hour by boat) off Sandakan. Together they make up 60% of the Batu Sapi electorate.
“Umno is depending on getting 60% of this total vote,” said a political party worker.
“If the party can get that plus 20% of the Chinese vote, then it believes the BN will win by a 5,000- vote majority,” he said.
BN using DAP
The DAP, which is campaigning for PKR candidate Ansari Abdullah, can ruin SAPP candidate Yong Teck Lee’s increasingly possible chances of an upset win.
“BN’s aim is to use DAP to split the Chinese vote that may go to SAPP. DAP claims it can deliver about 2,000 Chinese votes to PKR,” said the party worker.
The PKR camp, meanwhile, believes that its candidate stands a good chance if it can get 40% of the Bumiputera and about 20% of the Chinese vote
According to sources, Yong, who has up to 80% of the Chinese vote with his “Sabah for Sabahans” campaign drumbeat, is looking to get at least 20% of the Bumiputera vote through Nahalan Damsal (a former state minister and ex-PKR Batu Sapi chief, who has voiced his support for Yong rather than for Ansari).
Nahalan still commands respect in Sekong, one of the two state constituencies that make up Batu Sapi. Though defeated, he garnered 2,082 votes when he went up against current Sekong Assemblyman Samsuddin Yahya in the last general election.
