Batu Sapi By-Election: What Does It Imply?

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1. The National Front (BN) Still Commands Peoples Support.

• BN's win at Batu Sapi by-election with bigger majority (6,359) as compared to the 2008 general election result (3,708) is a clear indication of Sabahan support for BN.

Distribution of Votes for Batu Sapi By-Election on Nov 4, 2010

2. Muslim Bumiputera Voters Are Not Racist

• Muslim Bumiputeras (Suluk, Bajau, Bugis, Orang Sungei & etc) which is 59.02% of the Batu Sapi electoral role form the majority of voters in the constituency.
• BN candidate, Datin Linda Tsen is not a Bumiputera.
• Linda's victory over Muslim candidate is thus a proof that generally Muslim Bumiputera voters  do NOT practice racial politics.

Ethnic Composition of P185 Batu Sapi Voters

3. The Presence of BN Leaders from Outside of Batu Sapi Reinforced Voters Support.

• Charismatic BN leaders from outside Batu Sapi constituency are the icons of some local voters. 
• I found out, through casual conversation, with a number of Muslim Bumiputera voters that they have high esteem for Dato' Seri Hj Mohd Shafie Apdal (Semporna) and Datuk Nilwan Kabang (Kunak). They admitted of having some inclinations towards BN oppositions, yet to uphold the dignity of the leaders whom they admire and had been  assigned to carry out the campaign in their areas, they reverted to BN.

4. Speculations on Void Chinese Vote for BN is Amiss.

• If the Batu Sapi Chinese voters had been generally anti-BN, they would have entirely turned out to vote for SAPP.
• Their votes of 9737 along with votes from Muslim Bumiputeras who had turned out in scores to support Yong Teck Lee, that SAPP President would have defeated Linda.
• Yong Teck Lee must have counted on that. He must have been very disappointed. 

5. Narrow Regional Political Dogmas are Not for the Sabahans.

• Slogans such as "Sabah for Sabahans" and "Restore Sabahans Dignity" as used by some in their campaign during the Batu Sapi by-election proved to be shunned by the voters.  
• In fact, those slogans merely reared some queries:

> Sabah for Sabahans: Has Sabah been taken away? If so, by whom? When? Where have they hidden it?

> Restore Sabahans Dignity: Have the Sabahans lost their dignity? If so, who has taken it away? The Speaker at the Parliament is a Sabahan. Isn't that a boost to Sabahans dignity? The Vice President of the biggest political party who form the Malaysian government is a Sabahan. Isn't that a clear endorsement of high seemliness for the Sabahans?

• Peoples demand for representative candidates to be selected from among the local people is still relevant for it is not a manner of narrow regional political dogma. Rather, it shows the sensibleness of the voters who want their representatives to be those who have first-hand knowledge and experience on local issues. 
• Compare the profiles of the Batu Sapi by-election candidates:

> Profile of Barisan Nasional candidate

Name: Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin
Age: 54
Children: 4
Profession: Professional musician (piano)
Education: Chi Hwa Primary School, Sandakan, Tiong Hwa Secondary School, Sandakan St Brandon School, Clevedon, United Kingdom Trinity College of Music, London Fellowship London College of Music
Political Standing: Deputy Chief PBS Women Elopura, Vice Exco Chief PBS Women Sabah.

> Profile of SAPP candidate

Name: Datuk Yong Teck Lee
Age: 52

This is the first time Yong is chosen as a candidate after a five year suspension from contesting in elections, since 2001, following his violation on the electoral regulations during the 1999 general election. 

Although the suspension was withdrawn in 2006, Yong did not stand for election in the 2008 general election when BN turned down SAPP's request to contest the Kota Kinabalu Parliamentary seat where PBS was the incumbent. 

Yong said, "Sabah for Sabahans" and "Borneonisation" will be the core theme for SAPP in this by-election.

> Profile of Parti Keadilan Rakyat candidate

Name: Ansari Abdullah
Age: 56 tahun
Spouse: Alisyah Abdullah
Hometown: Tuaran, Sabah
Children: 5
Academic: Master in Law University of Malaya
PKR Membership: Since 1999
Profession: Lawyer, Ansari & Co, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Position in PKR: Sabah PKR Liaison Chairman (2007-2008) and PKR Chief of Division Tuaran (todate)

6. Lessons to Learn

• Despite the confidence shown and publicized by all parties that took part, they all have some reservations.
• BN entered the arena still haunted by their not-so-well performance in the 2008 general election and the loss at the 16 May Sibu by-election, SAPP was testing the water, for the first time after leaving BN, by playing their most valuable card, their very own president while the Peoples Pact (PR) PR bid a Muslim candidate hoping the majority Muslim Bumiputera voters would take to their side.
• BN was victorious over SAPP and PR because the former has less weakness than the latter, and that does not imply that BN is without flaws.
• The winners must not think that they have taken it all, then fail to evaluate the factors that had led them to victory.  Retrospection should be continuous for eradicating the flaws within incessantly. Pledges made, including those promised during the 2008 general election must be fulfilled.
• The losers need to go back to their drawing boards and probe their true endeavors.

7. Voters Sensibleness Ought Not Be Underrated

• Money can buy NOT everything.
• Maxims and slogans are sometimes only charm the owners.
• The people do want transformations but ones with clear objectives.
• The people do support justice but not the narrowly-characterized ones as defined by a particular group only. The basic of justice must be broad and wholly.