SANDAKAN POLLS | While the DAP has been campaigning for the Sandakan by-election last week, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) only kicked off its campaign yesterday - a day after nominations.

PBS' opening move has been bold. It chose Batu 5, Jalan Utara polling district, a DAP stonghold, for its candidate Linda Tsen's maiden leafleting session.

When Tsen was asked why the PBS' campaign started a date late, she explained that her team was not very familiar with Sandakan, as was she.

"I used to be in Batu Sapi, so of course I know that area very well. In the past, we were all in BN and Sandakan has always been a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) seat.

"That's why LDP would know the area very well. I know the Elopura area, but not Tanjung Papat. That's why we are a bit late in starting," said Tsen.

Targeted messaging

Tsen is no political novice. She has been the MP for Batu Sapi, which is a constituency adjacent to Sandakan to the west, from 2010 to 2018.

The last time PBS fielded a candidate in Sandakan was in 1999. Coincidentally, PBS was then an opposition party at the national and state levels.

Although Tsen is not a local person, unlike her main opponent Vivian Wong (photo) of DAP, she was able to strike up conversations with voters, with ease, throughout her time spent at Taman Damai and Bandar Kim Fung.

The monochrome leaflets in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese that her team were distributing looked hastily prepared, unlike the glossy pamphlets used by DAP.

There were evidence of targeted messaging in the different leaflets, as the one in Bahasa Malaysia mostly addressed cost of living issues while the one in Chinese accused Pakatan Harapan of not fulfilling its promises.

PBS' Chinese leaflet also criticised Harapan for making excuses not to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) due to "concerns for the feelings of other races".

'We fight on'

Tsen was thrust into politics in 2010 after she was fielded by PBS for the Batu Sapi by-election. She won the seat and succeeded her late husband Edmund Chong Ket Wah.

In 2018, Tsen met her first electoral defeat at the hands of Warisan's Liew Vui Keong.

Liew had previously criticised Tsen, saying she was trying to salvage her political career by seeking to represent Sandakan. Asked about this, Tsen said Liew had tried his luck in other constituencies as well.

"He lost in Sandakan in 2013 and then he came to Batu Sapi in 2018 and won. He was the Sandakan MP before. Then he came to Batu Sapi and won. He defeated me.

"So what do you say? Do we give up just because we lost one time? No, we fight on," Tsen added.