2010 Sibu by-election

The Sibu by-election, 2010 was a by-election for the seat of Sibu in the Parliament of Malaysia. The Sarawak-based seat fell vacant after the death of its incumbent member, Robert Lau Hoi Chew, from liver cancer on 9 April 2010. The seat was defended for the Barisan Nasional coalition government by Robert Lau Hui Yew of the Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP), while Sarawak State Assemblyman Wong Ho Leng contested the poll for the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition. Wong won the election by 398 votes, wresting the seat from the Barisan Nasional.

Sibu by-election

16 May 2010

Sibu parliamentary seat
       
Candidate Robert Lau Hui Yew Wong Ho Leng Narawi Haron
Party BN DAP Independent
Popular vote 18,447 18,845 232
Percentage 48.7% 49.7% 0.6%

MP before election

Robert Lau Hoi Chew
BN

Subsequent MP

Wong Ho Leng
DAP

At the time of the election there were 54,695 registered voters, a majority of whom were ethnic Chinese. In the previous general election in 2008, the incumbent, Hoi Chew retained the seat with a 3,235-vote majority against Wong Ho Leng, and Lim Chin Chuang of the People's Justice Party. The Sibu seat had been last won by the DAP in 1982, but had since been won continuously by the SUPP.

In this election, known as the "Battle of the Mighty Rejang", the government and opposition went head-to-head on a number of local issues concerning Sarawak, including poverty, education and development.

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