MP looks to restore Sandakan’s lost shine

Sandakan MP and Sabah DAP chairman Stephen Wong recounts five years of frustration as he watches his hometown’s fortunes diminish.

Wong during a Sabah DAP walkabout in conjunction with Chinese New Year.

KOTA KINABALU: Sandakan is the second largest town in Sabah after Kota Kinabalu and was once the most important port town in the state, exporting commodities such as timber, palm oil, tobacco, cocoa, coffee, manila hemp and sago.

During colonial times, Sandakan was the largest British settlement on the east coast of Sabah and enjoyed “modern” developments such as a telegraph service to London and paved streets before Hong Kong and Singapore.

Once a bustling timber hub, Sandakan’s economy has evolved, becoming reliant on the oil palm industry which helped sustain the town during the 1997 financial crisis.

Wong says the government must do something to boost the economy in Sandakan.

But despite its strong economic, cultural and historical background, Sandakan MP Stephen Wong told FMT that the Little Hong Kong of Asia has been suffering from an urban blight of sorts.

“Youths are leaving in droves because there are simply not enough jobs. At least 200 shops have closed.

“In the past, people even resorted to bribing building owners to rent a small shop in Wisma Lai Biang Kee and Wisma Sandakan. But now, the buildings are totally empty.”

Wong said the decline was gradual, and that he was afraid the worst was yet to come.

“Unless the government does something to boost the economy, we will have more abandoned commercial buildings, further diminishing the image of the town which once was the home of the rich and wealthy,” he added.

As the representative of some 40,000 voters in the constituency, Wong said he tried to do his part by addressing the people’s problems.

However, there was only so much he could do as he was from the opposition, he said.

Lack of resources and cooperation from the local government, especially the Sandakan Municipal Council, means Wong’s efforts often fall short, especially in keeping the city clean.

The state DAP chairman said 60% of the sewerage system in Sandakan had been out of order for two years now. Even with donations received from well-wishers, there was never enough to solve the people’s problems, he added.

Wong said he was also frustrated that the tourism industry had not benefited Sandakan as much as Sabah’s west coast.

Bandar Kim Fung was one of the earliest townships built outside of the Sandakan town centre.

Hotel occupancy in the constituency remains low at only 20%, which he blamed on the lack of genuine tourism promotions and activities that could persuade tourists to spend more time there.

He said Sandakan’s tourism potential could help revive the town’s economy, bringing in more jobs at hotels, restaurants and in the retail business, thus contributing more money to help revive the economy.

But in order to do that, Wong said, the local government needed to look into the problem of cleanliness, as well as the immigrant problem which he said had changed the face of Sandakan.

More than 40% of the 120,000 people in Wong’s constituency are immigrants and many have taken up residence in rented rooms in the shophouses downtown.

Their presence has reportedly further aggravated the cleanliness issue, with many irresponsible tenants throwing rubbish out of their upper floor rooms into the back alleys.

Nevertheless, for Wong, who wrested the seat from Barisan Nasional (BN) by beating then-Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president VK Liew by a 1,088 majority, the past five years have not been filled with frustration and disappointment alone.

A view of downtown Sandakan.

“I have been able to convey the people’s issues and I have always been vocal about it. I know the people recognise my efforts. The people always come to my office because they trust me. They also understand my situation as an opposition politician.

“The good thing about being in the opposition is that I can speak up for the people without fearing any kind of retribution from the higher-ups.

“And because of that, people now know what kind of problems we are facing in Sandakan. All these years, the representatives here have told others that everything was okay and rosy, when it is not.”

About 56% of the voters are Chinese while Muslim Bumiputeras make up around 36%. Non-Muslim Bumiputera voters account for 8%.

The first-term parliamentarian is confident that DAP will be able to retain the seat but remains cautious of his potential challenger in the upcoming election.

“I think the main one will be from LDP. Maybe Parti Warisan Sabah also, if we cannot conclude the seat negotiation.

Wisma Sandakan, once one of Sandakan’s most preferred shopping malls, is now empty.

“But I am not that concerned about Warisan because it is a new party and untested. We don’t know yet how the votes will swing.

“Whatever it is, I know I have done my part and will continue to do my job as an MP if the voters choose to give me another chance to represent them,” he said.

Although many voters appear content with Wong, some BN leaders refute Wong’s claim that Sandakan is dying.

Although they acknowledge that many shops have closed their doors, they say there are many new shops in new townships within the same constituency.

“One Ocean King restaurant closed in Sandakan town but at the same time, they opened two new restaurants elsewhere. It is not true that the government has been neglecting Sandakan or left the residents to their own devices as Wong has implied,” they said. -FMT