SANDAKAN: PBS information chief Datuk Johnny Mositun said SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee is singing to a different tune now that he is no longer in Barisan Nasional.
Yong is making all kinds of accusation against Barisan, conveniently forgetting his own part in the issues he raises as a coalition member and, from 1996 to 1998, as Sabah Chief Minister, Mositun added.
“When he was chief minister, Barisan could do no wrong. He praised the federal leaders sky high. He said Umno and Barisan leaders were visionary and laying the foundations for the further growth and progress of the state. Those were his words. Just read Joe Leong’s ‘A New Beginning in Sabah’.
“Now he is bringing up old issues like the Saham Amanah Sabah fiasco, autonomy and state rights but has not explained to the voters of Batu Sapi what he could do for them if he were to become their MP,” Mositun said.
Yong seems to Mositun to be more interested in “scoring cheap points” while smearing Barisan leaders, especially the Sabah chief minister.
Explaining Yong’s tactics, Mositun said: “He will mention an issue. He will vaguely insinuate that some big boys from Umno might be involved, but he’ll stop there. When he’s asked to name the people he is accusing of wrongdoing or involvement in these matters, he won’t.
“When asked to explain why he did not act on these matters when he was the CM, he won’t. He’ll just sidetrack the issue.”
Meanwhile, Barisan candidate Datin Linda Tsen is believed to have secured the support of most of the 15,099 Bumiputera Muslim voters. If the assessment is accurate, Tsen will only need between 25 to 50 per cent of the 9,737 Chinese voters to win the three-way contest, a Barisan source said. Tsen is the widow of Batu Sapi MP Datuk Edmund Chong Ket Wah whose death in a road accident on Oct 9 has necessitated the by-election.
The Batu Sapi parliamentary constituency, which encompasses the two state seats of Karamunting and Sekong, has 25,582 voters.
The source said that Tsen could also receive sympathy votes from Chinese voters, especially women. Yong is considered a stumbling block in the Barisn attempt to woo Chinese voters.
He is said to be well-accepted among Chinese voters in Karamunting for being seemingly outspoken, but is finding difficulty reaching out to Bumiputera Muslim voters in Sekong, a stronghold of Umno. — Bernama
PKR candidate Ansari Abdullah, with the party de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim campaigning for him for the last three days, is said to have gained some ground.
But it is unclear whether this may help Ansari pull off a great upset, according to a political observer.
Several Barisan leaders too had come to Batu Sapi to campaign, including Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Minister of Information, Communication and Culture Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
Joining the house-to-house campaign, Kinabatangan Puteri Umno chief Rohhenzie Lamri called on women voters in Batu Sapi, particularly young women, to support Linda Tsen.
“The Barisan government provides us numerous opportunities to excel in life.
“That’s why young women in Batu Sapi should rally behind the Barisan candidate for a better life,” said Rohhenzie. — Bernama